ABOUT THE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT

The Earned Income Tax Credit is a refundable federal tax credit for eligible working families. It can reduce the amount you need to pay in taxes, and could result in a refund of taxes withheld from your earnings throughout the year. In simple terms, the credit allows working taxpayers to keep more of what they earn.

The maximum limit for how much you can earn and still qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit depends on whether you are married and filing jointly and whether you have children. For 2019, the maximum credit is $6,557 with three or more qualifying children down to $529 with no qualifying child. The income limits for the Earned Income Tax Credit have been adjusted for 2019, so even if you didn’t qualify in the past, you may be able to claim it this year:

For 2019, free tax preparation with electronic filing is available at the eleven tax sites for taxpayers who have earned household income of less than $56,000.

Individuals or families with a combined income under $66,000 may file their own taxes electronically for free by using the tax preparation software.