IRS expands who can get low-income tax credit
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
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(WJW) — The Internal Revenue Service says more people without children now qualify for a larger tax break.
The Earned Income Tax Credit is the federal government’s largest refundable tax credit for low- to moderate-income families. Those who qualify can reduce the amount of taxes they owe and get a bigger refund.
In years past, the credit was for eligible working families, but now the credit has been expanded to include more people, including lower-income workers with no children, according to the IRS.
Now, these groups may also qualify for the tax credit, depending on their income:
- At least 19 years old with no children
- Older than 64 years old with no children
- 18 years old and formerly in foster care or experiencing homelessness
Before the changes were made this year, the EITC for those with no dependents was only available to people ages 25 to 64.
“There are important changes to EITC that will help this credit reach more hard-working families this year,” IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said. “We urge people potentially eligible for this valuable credit to review the guidelines; many people each year overlook this and leave money on the table. On this EITC Awareness Day, we want to make sure everyone who qualifies for the credit knows about it and has the information they need to get it.”
If you work with a tax preparer to file, the IRS says you should tell them to check whether your income qualifies you for the tax credit. If you file your own taxes, the agency suggests filing electronically, because the online software will ask the questions needed to determine if you qualify.
The IRS says you should also check if your pre-pandemic income levels in 2019 qualify you for a larger credit this year. Read more about that here by scrolling to page 7 under the “Prior year (2019) earned income” section.
To find out more about changes to the EITC this year, click here.
The IRS reminds taxpayers that the quickest way to get a tax refund is by filing an accurate tax return electronically and choosing direct deposit for their refund.
