taxmap/pubs/p517-007.htm#en_us_publink100033646The earned income credit is a credit for certain people who work. If you qualify for it, the earned income credit reduces the tax you owe. Even if you do not owe tax, you can get a refund of the credit.
You cannot take the credit if your earned income (or adjusted gross income) is:
- $13,460 or more ($18,470 or more if married filing jointly) and you do not have a qualifying child,
- $35,535 or more ($40,545 or more if married filing jointly) and you have one qualifying child,
- $40,363 or more ($45,373 or more if married filing jointly) and you have two qualifying children, or
- $43,352 or more ($48,362 if married filing jointly) and you have three or more qualifying children.
Earned income includes your:
- Wages, salaries, tips, and other taxable employee compensation (even if these amounts are exempt from FICA or SECA), and
- Net earnings from self-employment that are not exempt from SECA (you do not have an approved Form 4029 or 4361) with the following adjustments.
- Subtract the amount you claimed (or should have claimed) on Form 1040, line 27, for one-half of your SE tax.
- Add the amount you claimed on Form 1040, line 29, for the self-employed health insurance deduction.
- Add any amount from Schedule SE, line 4b and line 5a.
To figure your earned income credit, see the Form 1040 instructions for lines 64a and 64b.
 | If you are a minister and have an approved Form 4361, your earned income will still include wages and salaries earned as an employee, but it will not include amounts you received for nonemployee ministerial duties, such as fees for performing marriages and baptisms, and honoraria for delivering speeches. |
taxmap/pubs/p517-007.htm#en_us_publink100033651For detailed rules on this credit, see Publication 596. To figure the amount of your credit, you can either fill out a worksheet or have the IRS compute the credit for you. You may need to complete Schedule EIC and attach it to your tax return.
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