Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)

1. How it Works

EITC can provide a tax refund of up to $8,852 (combined federal, state and City). The credit is meant for low- to moderate-income working individuals and couples, particularly those with children. You claim the credit when you file your taxes.

Update: Due to COVID-19, all in-person tax prep services have been suspended under the NYC Free Tax Prep program. Prepare and file your federal income tax return for free using tax preparation and filing software through IRS Free File.

File your taxes by July 15, 2020. Effective 3/20/2020 income tax filing deadline is extended.
To qualify you must have earned income from working for someone or from running or owning a business or farm and meet basic rules
You’ll need to file your federal and New York State tax returns to claim EITC
If you qualify for the EITC, the City can help you file your taxes for free with NYC Free Tax prep
If you qualify, the government mails your refund or deposits it into your bank account
If you owe the government money, be aware that late filing penalties may apply for filing after April 15, 2020
Refunds for filers who claim EITC will not be distributed until February 15

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2. Determine Your Eligibility

2. Determine your eligibility

To be eligible for EITC, you should be able to answer yes to all of these questions:

Do you have a valid Social Security Number?
Will you file a tax return this year?
Did you earn less than $3,600 from investments?
If you don’t have any qualifying children, are you between 25 and 65 years old?

EITC also looks at your income from the previous year to determine if you are eligible. You can use ACCESS NYC to screen to see if you might be eligible.

Take a short survey to see if you might be eligible for this or 30 other programs.

Am I Eligible?

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3. What You Need to Include

3. What you need to include

It’s important to include the right documents when you apply. Your documents show whether the program is right for you.

This page can help you choose the right documents for your application.

If you want to receive your refund through direct deposit, you will need banking information (voided check and/or savings deposit slip).

You should bring a copy of last year’s return, if it is available. The income documents listed are necessary to file your taxes. You should bring a copy of last year’s return, if it is available.

For each person applying, any one document:

Drivers license/official photo ID
Social Security Card or ITIN
Social Security Card for dependents

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4. How to Apply

4. How to apply

Here are your options.

The City can help you find a website where you can file your taxes for free.

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Tax refund for workers and families