topic Earned Income Credit in Deductions & credits

Earned Income Credit

artamous — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 05:02:13 GMT

I live with my parents who make a higher income and pretty much pay my support. Does household income have an affect on my earned income credit? I only made $7500 but both parents work and make at least $50k each. Does this disqualify me?

Re: Earned Income Credit

VolvoGirl — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 02:54:07 GMT

Unless they claim you as a dependent their income won't affect your return. How old are you? Are you a full time student?

Re: Earned Income Credit

NCperson — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 11:09:18 GMT

@artamous - you are eligible for EITC, assuming you are NOT a student.

if you are a student, you CAN be claimed by your parents and therefore you are NOT eligible for EITC

If you are NOT a student, your parents can NOT claim you (you make more than $4300) and you ARE eligible for EITC, as long as you are 25 years old (I assume you are asking about the 2022 tax year)

the answer has nothing to do with how much money your parents make.

Re: Earned Income Credit

SweetieJean — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 11:24:04 GMT

pretty much pay my [own] support.

Do you pay your parents for rent, utilities, food, etc? If you pay more than 50% of your own support, your age may be irrelevant.

Re: Earned Income Credit

NCperson — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 11:27:37 GMT

@SweetieJean - why is age irrelevant?

Re: Earned Income Credit

SweetieJean — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 11:30:45 GMT

In order for OP's parents to claim him/her as a dependent if under age 19:

The dependent must not provide more than half of his or her own support for the year.

RE: Earned Income Credit

NCperson — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 12:38:30 GMT

@artamous @SweetieJean - let me summarize so there is no confusion on the OP question.

@artamous asked if they were eligible for EITC.... and the asnwer is dependent on some factors we don't have an answer to,....and the rules are different in 2022 and 2021.

for 2022, age is RELEVANT to determine EITC eligibility. You must be 25 years old to be eligible. An income of $7500 is eligible for EITC. Discussion of whether you are a dependent of your parents is irrelevant as if you are 25 and make $7500 during the year, you can't be a dependent of your parents. (and if you are under 25 year old, it's a moot point - you are not elgiible for EITC)

For 2021, age is also RELEVANT to determine EITC eligibility. For 2021, the minimum age limit is 24 years of age for a full-time student, 18 years of age for a qualified former foster youth or a qualified homeless youth, or 19 years of age for all others;

Also, what is RELEVANT is whether you are a dependent of your parents. If you CAN BE a dependent on your parent's tax return, you are not eligible for EITC. Use this link - and play the role of your parents when answering the questions - to determine whether you CAN be a dependent

https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/whom-may-i-claim-as-a-dependent

Re: Earned Income Credit

artamous — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 17:02:47 GMT

24 full time job not student. Last year 23 part time job due to covid

Re: Earned Income Credit

artamous — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 17:04:07 GMT

I pay well under 50% as no rent or utilities and not much for food

Re: Earned Income Credit

xmasbaby0 — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 18:07:28 GMT

If you are older than 24 and earned more than $4300, since you are NOT a student you cannot be claimed as dependent no matter how much you pay (or do not pay) for rent, food, utilities, etc.

As stated ---for 2021 if you cannot be claimed as a dependent you can get EIC if you are not a student and at least 19 years old. For 2022 you cannot get EIC unless you are 25 or older (or have a dependent child). The rules for EIC are different for 2021 and 2022.

Re: Earned Income Credit

NCperson — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 18:09:52 GMT

@artamous

1) your parents income has no bearing on the situation

2) you are not eligble for EITC in 2022 because you are under 25

3) for 2021, how much money did you make? if more than $4300, you would be eligible for EITC (because you could not be a dependent of your parents). if less than $4300, you would NOT be eligible for EITC (because you CAN BE a dependent of your parents)

Re: Earned Income Credit

VolvoGirl — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 18:53:56 GMT

Exactly when did you turn 24? Your 2021 tax return goes by your age on December 31, 2021. By last year do you mean 2020 that you filed in 2021 or mean 2021 that you are filing now?

Re: Earned Income Credit

artamous — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 22:46:38 GMT

May 2022

Re: Earned Income Credit

artamous — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 22:52:05 GMT

Thanks for explanation, I guess the concern/confusing part is I am not 25 (turned 24 in May 2022) but turbotax keeps showing I qualify. I feel I should trust turbotax yet it seems odd I qualify

Re: Earned Income Credit

DoninGA — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 22:57:07 GMT

@artamous wrote:

Thanks for explanation, I guess the concern/confusing part is I am not 25 (turned 24 in May 2022) but turbotax keeps showing I qualify. I feel I should trust turbotax yet it seems odd I qualify

On a 2021 tax return Only, if you are not a dependent and age 19 or older in 2021 then you are eligible for EITC on the 2021 tax return.

On the 2022 tax return that you file next year, you will Not be eligible for EITC since the rules revert back to being age 25 or older in 2022.

Re: Earned Income Credit

NCperson — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 22:57:18 GMT

@artamous - but you are doing your 2021 tax return, right????

as I stated above, in the 2021 TAX YEAR (and the tax return is completed in 2022 - is that the confusion?) the rule was you had to be at least 19 years old to be eligible for EITC and you are!!! THat is why Turbo Tax shows that you are eligible - because you are!

In TAX YEAR 2022 (which you are NOT going to complete the tax return until 2023), you are NOT eligible for EITC because you will not be 25 by the end of the year. \

make sense?

does that help?

Re: Earned Income Credit

VolvoGirl — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 22:57:41 GMT

Yes you are working on your 2021 tax return. For 2021 you don't have to be under 65 to get the EIC if you have no children. Just over 19.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/credits-and-deductions/help/what-are-the-qualifications-for-the-earned-income-credit-eic-or-eitc/00/25603

Re: Earned Income Credit

NCperson — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 22:59:46 GMT

@artamous - in the tax world, when you say you are doing your 2021 tax return, you are compiling the income you received from Jan 1- Dec 31, 2021.... The rules we need to follow are the rules for 2021, even though we are half way through 2022 already.

Re: Earned Income Credit

VolvoGirl — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 23:04:15 GMT

Were you a full time student in 2021? Since you were under 24 on dec 31 your parents can probably claim you as a dependent. If you qualify as their dependent you have to mark your return as a dependent (even if they don't actually claim you). That will prevent you from getting the EIC.

When you have to answer you are a dependent

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/dependents/help/when-do-i-have-to-answer-yes-to-being-claimed-as-a-dependent/00/1994319

Here are the rules for claiming a dependent. Do you qualify as a dependent?

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/credits-and-deductions/help/who-can-i-claim-as-my-dependent/00/26781

Re: Earned Income Credit

NCperson — Fri, 01 Jul 2022 00:07:37 GMT

@VolvoGirl

<<Since you were under 24 on dec 31 your parents can probably claim you as a dependent.>>

they can't. Earlier in the thread @artamous stated her income was $7500 and she was not in school.