The next tax season is just two or three months away, and taxpayers who wish to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit should know the credit has increased from last year due to the inflation adjustment. You can find the full details about the EITC for tax year 2025 here, from eligibility to the credit claiming process.
The Earned Income Tax Credit supports low-to-moderate-income earners to lower their tax bill when the credit amount is higher than the taxes they owe. The credit increases if you have dependent children; it is beneficial for taxpayers, as the extra amount will be refunded to you with your tax refund.
The IRS adjusts the tax provisions, credits, and deductions with inflation every year. The 2025 tax year inflation adjustment was announced long ago, offering the maximum credit of up to $8046 to families with 3 or more children.
What will be the Earned Income Tax Credit 2026?
The IRS has updated the EITC credit for the tax year 2025; if you are planning to file it in the 2026 tax season, you can check the maximum credit amount based on the number of qualifying children below:
| Number of qualifying Children | Credit Amount 2026 |
| 00 | $649 |
| 01 | $4328 |
| 02 | $7152 |
| 03 or more | $8046 |
The EITC credit amount depends on the adjusted gross income, filing status, investment income, and number of qualifying children; hence, it can change for taxpayers.
Who can claim the Earned Income Tax Credit 2026?
If you are wondering what makes you eligible for the EITC tax credit, you can check the following eligibility conditions:
- For people claiming EITC without any qualifying children, you must be at least age 25 years but not more than 65 years. And if you are married, at least one of the spouses should meet this condition.
- You should file the tax return as the filing status – head of household, single, qualifying surviving spouse, married filing separately, married filing separately, and married filing jointly.
- You should be a US citizen or resident alien for the tax year. If you are a non-resident, you can claim the EITC if your filing status is married filing jointly and your spouse is a U.S. citizen.
- You must have a valid Social Security Number and do not file the Form 2555.
- You must meet the income limit for the tax year 2025 based on the number of qualifying children, such as
| Number of qualifying Children | Married filing jointly | Married filing separately, Individuals, Head of household, or widowed |
| 00 | $26,214 | $19,104 |
| 01 | $57,554 | $50,434 |
| 02 | $64,430 | $57,310 |
| 03 or more | $68,675 | $61,555 |
- You must meet the investment income limit for the tax year 2025, that is, $11,950 or less.
- The clergy members, military members, or taxpayers with relatives who have disabilities will have special qualifying rules for the EITC.
How does your income affect your EITC Credit 2026?
The income limit mentioned above is the complete phaseout limit for the credit, meaning, if you earn above this limit, your credit amount will be completely gone; however, if you earn above a certain amount, it will start reducing.
Before we learn about the phaseout threshold amount for the EITC, let’s learn about the earned income amount, that is, the minimum income to qualify for the credit:
| Number of qualifying Children | Earned Income Amount |
| 00 | $8490 |
| 01 | $12730 |
| 02 | $17880 |
| 03 or more | $17880 |
Now, the threshold phaseout amount for the EITC 2026, where your credit begins to reduce, is as follows:
| Number of qualifying Children | Married filing jointly | All other filing statuses |
| 00 | $17,730 | $10,620 |
| 01 | $30,470 | $23,350 |
| 02 | $30,470 | $23,350 |
| 03 or more | $30,470 | $23,350 |
How to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit 2026?
If you wish to claim the EITC credit for the 2025 tax year, you can claim it when you file your tax return in the following ways:
- E-file: You can file the tax return through the electronic filing method, where you claim the EITC, and if you have a qualifying child, you must remember to claim Schedule EIC with the IRS form.
- Offline: You must file Form 1040 and Schedule EIC (for qualifying children) if you are opting for the paper filing method.
The IRS suggests that taxpayers file the tax return electronically because it is much more convenient and faster. You can also claim the EITC for the prior year if you haven’t claimed it that time. The prior year claim in the 2026 tax season is allowed for four years, that is, 2022.
The EITC credit amount for the 2025 tax year is adjusted and updated; taxpayers who wish to claim the credit in the next tax season should prepare to claim it before 15 April 2026.
Disclaimer: Earned Income Tax Credit 2026 details are informational; eligibility and refund amounts are determined by the IRS.
