As just one example of why this happens:
A married couple filing separate returns does not qualify for the EIC regardless of income.
If your income is to low, you do not qualify.
Most likely, since you're in the rental section, you've not yet entered any other income such a W-2's. Therefore the program can only work with what it has "right now" at this specific point in time. Things will probably change as you continue to enter data into the program, once you are past the rental section and start entering personal income, along with other deductions and the such.
Basically that dollar amount you see while you are entering data means one thing, and one thing only; "The Program Did Something". That's pretty much it. That dollar amount means nothing else and don't matter until "after" you have completed your tax return in it's entirety and are ready to file.
