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Can I get the EITC or Child Tax Credit?
Answer which number each person on your return uses and who your children are: we show which federal credits you might get, which IRS rule decides it and where to confirm it for free.
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- IRS figures for tax years 2026 and 2025
- Rules verified as of October 31, 2026.
Pick the year, how you file and which number each person uses. Below you see each credit, the rule that decides it and its source.
Your return
A card that reads “Valid for work only with DHS authorization” counts as valid while that authorization is still valid. We only ask the kind of number, never the number.
Your answers are not saved and never leave this page: they are erased when you close it.
Let's do the math
Tax year 2026
ExampleMaybe: Child Tax Credit
From your answers, the IRS rules we check are met. Below you see each one and what is left to confirm.
This is an example: a couple filing jointly, one with a valid Social Security number and the other with an ITIN, with two children who have Social Security numbers. Change the answers to your case.
- EITCNo, from your answers
- Child Tax CreditMaybe
- Credit for other dependentsNo, from your answers
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
No, from your answers- Met: You have a Social Security number valid for work.
- Not met: Your spouse has an ITIN: on a joint return, the EITC requires a valid Social Security number for both of you.
- Met: Children who count for the EITC (by age and a valid number): 2.
- Note: Enter your earned income. The EITC requires earned income, and that both it and your adjusted gross income be less than $65,899 in your case.
Rules: IRS, Publication 596 (2025), Earned Income Credit (EIC) · IRS, Qualifying child rules (EITC) · IRS, Revenue Procedure 2025-32 (inflation adjustments for 2026)
Child Tax Credit (CTC) and additional child tax credit (ACTC)
MaybeUp to $4,400 in all ($2,200 per child). Of that, up to $3,400 can come back as a refund (the additional child tax credit).
- Met: Joint return: at least one of you has a Social Security number valid for employment, and the other has a Social Security number or an ITIN.
- Met: Children under 17 with a valid Social Security number: 2.
- Note: The part that comes back as a refund (the additional child tax credit) requires earned income of at least $2,500. Enter your income to check it.
Rules: IRS, 2025 Instructions for Schedule 8812 (Form 1040) · 26 U.S.C. §24, Child tax credit (Cornell LII) · IRS, Revenue Procedure 2025-32 (inflation adjustments for 2026)
Credit for other dependents (ODC)
No, from your answers- Met: This credit accepts a Social Security number or an ITIN for the people filing.
- Note: Your children already count for the Child Tax Credit, and the same child does not count for both credits.
What else the IRS requires (we don't ask)
- For the EITC: being a U.S. citizen or resident alien all year, and not filing Form 2555 for foreign earned income.
- For the EITC: not being someone else's qualifying child and, with no children who count, not being someone else's dependent.
- Each EITC child must be younger than you (or your spouse on a joint return) and must not have filed a joint return to claim credits.
- For the Child Tax Credit and the credit for other dependents, the child must be your dependent and a U.S. citizen, national or resident alien. A child who lives in Mexico does not give you the credit for other dependents, even if the child is your dependent.
- Only one person can claim the same child for these credits; if more than one can, the IRS has tiebreaker rules.
- Each number must be issued by the return's due date, including extensions. An ITIN applied for before that date counts as on time if the IRS issues it.
- Head of household and qualifying surviving spouse have their own filing-status rules.
Confirm it with the IRS or with free help
Figures for tax year 2026, verified on October 31, 2026: IRS, Revenue Procedure 2025-32 (inflation adjustments for 2026)
A summary of the IRS rules, not tax advice. The IRS decides when it reviews your return.
Show contents
How is it calculated?
We read each rule and each figure on the IRS's pages and in the law; you only answer about your family.
The formula
For each credit we check the IRS rules in order: the number of the people filing, each child's age and number, the filing status and the year's income limits. If a rule is not met, we tell you which one; we never compute your refund.
Example with the numbers for the United States
A couple filing jointly for tax year 2026: one has a Social Security number valid for employment, the other has an ITIN, and they have two young children with Social Security numbers. This is what the rules say:
- EITC
- No
- Child Tax Credit
- Maybe · up to $4,400
- Of that, as a refund
- up to $3,400
- Credit for other dependents
- No
Each line comes from the same rules the tool above uses. Change the answers to see your case.
Computed from the page's data when it was built; in the tool you replace every number with your own.
What moves the result?
Six things that change the number more than anything else.
-
Each person's number
The EITC asks for a valid Social Security number for everyone filing; the Child Tax Credit, for at least one spouse and for each child.
-
Your children
For the Child Tax Credit, under 17; for the EITC, under 19 (or students, or disabled). They must live with you more than half the year.
-
Your earned income
The EITC and the refundable part of the Child Tax Credit need earned income; for that part, at least $2,500.
-
The income limits
The EITC has a limit that depends on your children and on whether you file jointly; the Child Tax Credit goes down at higher incomes.
-
The due date
Each number must be issued by the return's due date, including extensions. Apply for an ITIN in time with Form W-7.
-
Free help
VITA and TCE sites prepare your return for free and go over each credit with you.
The official numbers behind the tool
Official data the tool uses, so you can compare.
The 2026 EITC: largest credit and income limit
| Children who count | Largest EITC | Income limit (other filing statuses) | Income limit (married filing jointly) |
|---|---|---|---|
| None | $664 | $19,540 | $26,820 |
| 1 | $4,427 | $51,593 | $58,863 |
| 2 | $7,316 | $58,629 | $65,899 |
| 3 or more | $8,231 | $62,974 | $70,244 |
- None $664$19,540
- 1 $4,427$51,593
- 2 $7,316$58,629
- 3 or more $8,231$62,974
Source: IRS, Revenue Procedure 2025-32 (inflation adjustments for 2026) (verified on October 31, 2026)
What each credit asks for in 2026
| Credit | Largest amount | Number for the people filing | What each child needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| EITC | Up to $8,231 (with 3 or more children) | A valid Social Security number for you and for your spouse on a joint return | A valid Social Security number for the child to count; under 19 (or a student, or disabled) |
| Child Tax Credit | Up to $2,200 per child | A Social Security number valid for employment for you, or for one of you on a joint return (the other: a Social Security number or ITIN) | A Social Security number valid for employment; under 17 |
| Additional child tax credit | Up to $1,700 per child, with earned income of at least $2,500 | Same as the Child Tax Credit | Same as the Child Tax Credit |
| Credit for other dependents | Up to $500 per dependent | A Social Security number or ITIN | A Social Security number, ITIN or ATIN; a U.S. citizen, national or resident |
- EITC Up to $8,231 (with 3 or more children)A valid Social Security number for you and for your spouse on a joint return
- Child Tax Credit Up to $2,200 per childA Social Security number valid for employment for you, or for one of you on a joint return (the other: a Social Security number or ITIN)
- Additional child tax credit Up to $1,700 per child, with earned income of at least $2,500Same as the Child Tax Credit
- Credit for other dependents Up to $500 per dependentA Social Security number or ITIN
Source: IRS, Revenue Procedure 2025-32 (inflation adjustments for 2026); IRS, 2025 Instructions for Schedule 8812 (Form 1040); IRS, Child Tax Credit (verified on October 31, 2026)
— means the source publishes no value.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I get the EITC with an ITIN?
No. The IRS requires a valid Social Security number for you and, on a joint return, for your spouse. With an ITIN you can claim the credit for other dependents, up to $500 per dependent, if its rules are met.
My partner has a Social Security number and I have an ITIN. Can we claim the Child Tax Credit?
The rule allows it: on a joint return only one of you needs a Social Security number valid for employment, and the other needs a Social Security number or an ITIN. Each child needs a valid number and must be under 17 at the end of the year.
How much is the Child Tax Credit in 2026?
Up to $2,200 per child. Of that, up to $1,700 can come back as a refund (the additional child tax credit) if you have earned income of at least $2,500. At higher incomes the credit goes down.
Does the tool compute my refund?
No. It tells you which rules are met by your answers and the largest credit the IRS sets, for example up to $8,231 of EITC with three or more children. The IRS figures the exact amount; a VITA site helps you for free.
How we calculate and sources
- Every figure (the income limits, the largest credits and the investment income limit) comes from the IRS's pages and from the IRS revenue procedure with the year's inflation adjustments, with the date we read them.
- The Social Security number rules are those of current law (P.L. 119-21) and the IRS instructions: for the EITC, a valid number for everyone filing and for each child who counts; for the Child Tax Credit, for at least one spouse and for each child.
- The tool does not ask for or keep numbers, names or immigration status, and it does not compute your refund: for the exact amount use the IRS assistant or a free VITA site.
Program rules
- IRS, Revenue Procedure 2025-32 (inflation adjustments for 2026) · Verified on October 31, 2026
- IRS, Earned Income and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) tables · Verified on October 31, 2026
- IRS, Child Tax Credit · Verified on October 31, 2026
- IRS, Publication 596 (2025), Earned Income Credit (EIC) · Verified on October 31, 2026
- IRS, Who qualifies for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) · Verified on October 31, 2026
- IRS, Qualifying child rules (EITC) · Verified on October 31, 2026
- IRS, 2025 Instructions for Schedule 8812 (Form 1040) · Verified on October 31, 2026
- 26 U.S.C. §24, Child tax credit (Cornell LII) · Verified on October 31, 2026
What comes next?
With your credits checked, get your papers ready for the appointment or plan how to use the refund.
Want someone to go over it with you? A HUD-approved counselor does it for free or at low cost. Find a counselor
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Document checklist
The documents you'll be asked for.
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Guides to read next
- Free tax filing: IRS VITA, TCE and Free File Who can file for free with VITA, TCE or Free File, what to bring, how to apply for an ITIN at a VITA site and how to find a free tax help site near you.
- The EITC and Child Tax Credit for mixed-status families Which number the IRS requires for the EITC and child tax credit, what an ITIN filer can claim and how the credit for other dependents works.
- How to get an ITIN with Form W-7, step by step Who can apply for an ITIN, which documents the IRS accepts, where to file Form W-7 for free, how long it takes and how to renew it.
- What an ITIN is and what it is for The ITIN is the IRS number for filing taxes without a Social Security number: what it does and does not do, how to apply with Form W-7, timing and expiry.