Prepare accurate tax returns for people who claim certain tax credits, such as the:
- Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) - Helps low- to moderate-income workers and families get a tax break.
- Child Tax Credit/Credit for Other Dependents (CTC)/(ODC) – Provides a tax benefit for families with a qualifying dependent child and families with dependents who don’t qualify for the CTC.
- American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC) and Lifetime Learning Credit (LLC) – Helps eligible taxpayers cover qualifying education expenses.
- Head of Household (HOH) filing status – Gives eligible taxpayers a higher standard deduction and lower tax rate than other filing statuses.
Help Those Who Qualify
Stay informed and access these tips and tools for marketing, education and tax return preparation to help your clients get their tax credits:
- Refundable Credits News and Updates - Share news on refundable credit topics.
- Tax Help for Your Client - Find tax preparation tips to prepare accurate returns for your clients.
- Statistics for Tax Returns - Review EITC averages from current and previous tax years.
- Publications and Products - Increase taxpayer awareness with news and promotional content.
- Participation Rate By State - View yearly data on state participation for the EITC.
Benefits of the EITC
We estimate that four out of five workers claim the EITC, which means millions of eligible taxpayers are putting EITC dollars to work for them.
As of December 2023, more than 23 million workers and families received about $57 billion in EITC. The average amount of EITC received nationwide in tax year 2022 was about $2,541.
However, there are still millions of people not taking advantage of this valuable credit. Help us reach the workers who qualify but miss out on thousands of dollars every year without the EITC. Educate them about the credit and motivate them to join the four out of five people who file and claim the credit. This includes workers who are:
- Living in rural areas
- Self-employed
- Receiving certain disability pensions or have children with disabilities
- Without a qualifying child
- Not proficient in English
- Grandparents raising their grandchildren
- Recently divorced, unemployed or experienced other changes to their marital, financial or parental status
Resources
Use these additional resources to stay informed about refundable credits and how to claim them:
- Where's My Refund - Get the status of your refund.
- News and Updates for Paid Preparers - Learn the rules to properly prepare refundable credit claims.
- Divorced and Separated Parents - Help divorced or separated parents claim the EITC.
- Form 886-H-EIC Toolkit - Identify documents your clients need during an audit to prove they can claim the EITC.
- The EITC Assistant – Use this calculator to find out if your client is eligible for the EITC.
- Income Limits and Range of EITC - Get income limits for claiming the EITC.
- Nationwide Tax Forums - Get professional education resources.
- Awareness Day - Spread the word about refundable credits.
Find more information about EITC on IRS.gov.