Why is this box not checked on my form: Check here if your main home, and your spouse’s if filing a joint return, was in the U.S. for more than half of 2025?

[jkglpoll]

We lived in the US all year.

[JohnB5677]

The check box on the 1040 for your home being in the United States is specifically for the Earned Income Credit.

• The box can only be checked if you qualify for the Earned Income Credit.
• There are significant age, income and possibly child requirements.
• If the box is not checked, it will not affect your tax return.

See IRS guidance on Earned Income Tax Credit (EIT

[user17703616229]

IRS instructions don't mentioned that is ONLY for EIC, it says for other credits as well:

"2025 Residency
If your main home, and your spouse’s if filing a joint return, was in the United States for more than half of 2025, check the box. Answering this question will help the IRS determine your eligibility for certain tax benefits, including the earned income credit."

[JohnB5677]

The check box on the 1040 for your home being in the United States is specifically for the Earned Income Credit, 

See IRS guidance on The EIC checkbox 

[DenScan]

Thanks for the clarification and link. The checkbox on the form doesn't indicate it's only for EIC, though. The IRS instructions you linked to clarify the intent of the box, but the form doesn't, and anyone seeing that box on the form would expect they need to check it of they own a home in the US. It's frustrating that the form doesn't allow that, since it looks like a required input.

[carysosm]

The following is from the "What's New" section oc Publication 17.  Yes, the EIC is mentioned, but the IRS's wording seems to suggest that everyone who has lived in the US for over half the year should be checking the box because the IRS uses it to check eligibility fior that and other tax benefits.  The implication is that it should be checked whether or not you qualify for such benefits.:  It does NOT say it shouldn't be checked if you don't qualify for the EIC.  

If your main home (and
spouse if filing a joint return) was in
the United States for over half of
2025, check the box on the front of
Form 1040 or 1040-SR. Providing
this information will help the IRS
determine your eligibility for certain
tax benefits, including the earned
income credit.

[RichInPitt]

I noticed the same, and it's a terriby designed form/prompt.  I worked through the Forms view and the place to actually check this box is in Part IV of the Information Worksheet (Info Wks) form, which is the Earned Income Credit Information section.

I don't qualify, but went ahead and checked yes for this, and completed the other parts of the section.  It did nothing to the taxes due, but did check that box on the 1040.

The EIC section of the interview still just says "It turns out you don't qualify for this credit"

So if you're obsessive and hate seeing a box unchecked that, via the prompt, should be checked, that's how you can do it.  It doesn't change anything else.