2024 Earned Income Tax Credit
For 2024, the Earned Income Tax Credit figures are $4,213 (Maximum credit, one child), $6,960 (Maximum credit, two children), $7,830 (Maximum credit, three or more children) and 21 more figures below.
| Item | One child | Two children | Three or more children | Childless filers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum credit | $4,213 | $6,960 | $7,830 | $632 |
| Earned income amount | $12,390 | $17,400 | $17,400 | $8,260 |
| Phaseout begins (not filing jointly) | $22,720 | $22,720 | $22,720 | $10,330 |
| Phaseout begins (joint return) | $29,640 | $29,640 | $29,640 | $17,250 |
| Credit reaches zero (not filing jointly) | $49,084 | $55,768 | $59,899 | $18,591 |
| Credit reaches zero (joint return) | $56,004 | $62,688 | $66,819 | $25,511 |
Effective 2024-01-01Source: Rev. Proc. 2023-34 (IRS)Verified 2026-09-03
Compared with 2023
| Item | 2023 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum credit, one child | $3,995 | $4,213 | +$218 (+5.5%) |
| Maximum credit, two children | $6,604 | $6,960 | +$356 (+5.4%) |
| Maximum credit, three or more children | $7,430 | $7,830 | +$400 (+5.4%) |
| Maximum credit, childless filers | $600 | $632 | +$32 (+5.3%) |
| Earned income amount, one child | $11,750 | $12,390 | +$640 (+5.4%) |
| Earned income amount, two children | $16,510 | $17,400 | +$890 (+5.4%) |
| Earned income amount, three or more children | $16,510 | $17,400 | +$890 (+5.4%) |
| Earned income amount, childless filers | $7,840 | $8,260 | +$420 (+5.4%) |
| Phaseout begins (not filing jointly), one child | $21,560 | $22,720 | +$1,160 (+5.4%) |
| Phaseout begins (not filing jointly), two children | $21,560 | $22,720 | +$1,160 (+5.4%) |
| Phaseout begins (not filing jointly), three or more children | $21,560 | $22,720 | +$1,160 (+5.4%) |
| Phaseout begins (not filing jointly), childless filers | $9,800 | $10,330 | +$530 (+5.4%) |
| Phaseout begins (joint return), one child | $28,120 | $29,640 | +$1,520 (+5.4%) |
| Phaseout begins (joint return), two children | $28,120 | $29,640 | +$1,520 (+5.4%) |
| Phaseout begins (joint return), three or more children | $28,120 | $29,640 | +$1,520 (+5.4%) |
| Phaseout begins (joint return), childless filers | $16,370 | $17,250 | +$880 (+5.4%) |
| Credit reaches zero (not filing jointly), one child | $46,560 | $49,084 | +$2,524 (+5.4%) |
| Credit reaches zero (not filing jointly), two children | $52,918 | $55,768 | +$2,850 (+5.4%) |
| Credit reaches zero (not filing jointly), three or more children | $56,838 | $59,899 | +$3,061 (+5.4%) |
| Credit reaches zero (not filing jointly), childless filers | $17,640 | $18,591 | +$951 (+5.4%) |
| Credit reaches zero (joint return), one child | $53,120 | $56,004 | +$2,884 (+5.4%) |
| Credit reaches zero (joint return), two children | $59,478 | $62,688 | +$3,210 (+5.4%) |
| Credit reaches zero (joint return), three or more children | $63,398 | $66,819 | +$3,421 (+5.4%) |
| Credit reaches zero (joint return), childless filers | $24,210 | $25,511 | +$1,301 (+5.4%) |
Maximum credit
Earned income amount
Phaseout begins (not filing jointly)
Phaseout begins (joint return)
Credit reaches zero (not filing jointly)
Credit reaches zero (joint return)
$632$66,819
One dot per column of the table, on a scale running from the smallest of these amounts to the largest. The scale is logarithmic - each faint line is ten times the one before it, so that the amounts crowded at the low end stay far enough apart to read. The table states which dot is which.
Who it applies to
Taxpayers who qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit under IRC Section 32 for taxable years beginning in 2024.
What changed this year, and why
For tax year 2024, the IRS published the maximum Earned Income Tax Credit amounts based on the number of qualifying children.
Common questions
- What is the maximum EITC for 2024?
- The maximum credit depends on the number of qualifying children: $4,213 for one child, $6,960 for two children, $7,830 for three or more children, and $632 for filers with no qualifying children.
- Does the filing status affect the maximum credit amount?
- No. The maximum credit amounts are the same regardless of filing status. However, filing status does affect the income thresholds at which the credit begins to phase out and the amount of income at which the credit is fully phased out.
Every amount on this page is a published figure rather than yours. The EITC with 1 child, not filing jointly takes the number you enter and works it out against them, showing which published figure it used.
Married filing jointly gets a higher phaseout range
Taxpayers who are married and file a joint return receive a higher threshold phaseout amount and a higher completed phaseout amount than those using other filing statuses. The document states that the joint-return figures include a built-in increase - provided by the Internal Revenue Code and adjusted for inflation each year - so that married couples filing together can earn more before the credit starts to shrink and before it disappears entirely. The non-joint thresholds, by contrast, also apply to married taxpayers who are legally separated and meet the special rules for separated spouses, but they do not include the joint-return increase. In practice this means a married couple filing jointly keeps a larger portion of the credit at moderate income levels than two single filers with the same number of children would retain individually.
The threshold phaseout amounts and the completed phaseout amounts shown in the table below for married taxpayers filing a joint return include the increase provided in § 32(b)(2)(B), as adjusted for inflation for taxable years beginning in 2024.
Rev. Proc. 2023-34 (IRS)
Too much investment income disqualifies you outright
A taxpayer is disqualified from the EITC entirely if their investment income is too high, regardless of how much earned income they have. For 2024, the credit is not allowed if the aggregate amount of certain investment income - such as interest, dividends, capital gains, and other passive income - exceeds $11,600. This is an all-or-nothing disqualifier: even a dollar over the limit eliminates the credit. The investment income test applies independently of the earned income and phaseout limits; a taxpayer must meet both the income requirements and stay below the investment income cap to claim any EITC.
For taxable years beginning in 2024, the earned income tax credit is not allowed under § 32(i) if the aggregate amount of certain investment income exceeds $11,600.
Rev. Proc. 2023-34 (IRS)
The IRS publishes a lookup table, and that is what you file from
The amount of earned income credit you enter on your 2024 return is read off a table rather than worked out on the form. The instructions for the Form 1040 series print the credit for each type of taxpayer, so that two filers with the same earnings and the same number of qualifying children put down the same figure. What those tables trace is the curve the amounts on this page describe: the credit climbs as earnings rise until it reaches the earned income amount, holds flat at the maximum, then falls away to nothing at the amount where the phaseout is complete, with its own pair of turning points for a joint return. The calculators on this page run that same curve from those same published figures, which is how they can tell you roughly what the credit comes to before you file. The table in the instructions is still the figure you write on the return, because that is the version the IRS reads your return against.
The instructions for the Form 1040 series provide tables showing the amount of the earned income credit for each type of taxpayer.
Rev. Proc. 2023-34 (IRS)
The phaseout is measured on whichever is higher: your AGI or your earnings, and it shrinks gradually rather than falling off a cliff
For the 2024 Earned Income Tax Credit, the phaseout does not simply track your adjusted gross income. The IRS measures the phaseout against whichever figure is higher: your AGI or your earned income. This means that if your earnings exceed your AGI - which can happen, for example, when above-the-line deductions reduce adjusted gross income - the phaseout begins at the higher of the two amounts. The same "greater of" rule governs the completed phaseout amount, the income level at which the credit drops to zero entirely. Because the phaseout is a gradual reduction rather than a hard cutoff, a taxpayer whose income rises just past the threshold loses only a portion of the credit; the credit shrinks step by step as the applicable figure climbs toward the completed phaseout amount.
The “threshold phaseout amount” is the amount of adjusted gross income (or, if greater, earned income) above which the maximum amount of the credit begins to phase out.
Rev. Proc. 2023-34 (IRS)
Your earnings have to reach a floor before the credit maxes out, then it holds flat until the phaseout begins
For the 2024 Earned Income Tax Credit, the earned income amount is the level of earnings at or above which the maximum amount of the credit is allowed. In other words, your earnings have to reach a floor before the credit maxes out, then it holds flat until the phaseout begins. For 2024 the earned income amount is $12,390 for a filer with one qualifying child, $17,400 for two children, $17,400 for three or more children, and $8,260 for a childless filer. Below that floor the credit grows with earnings; once it is reached the full maximum credit is available - $4,213 for one child, $6,960 for two, $7,830 for three or more, and $632 for a childless filer - and it stays at that maximum until the taxpayer's phaseout threshold is crossed.
The “earned income amount” is the amount of earned income at or above which the maximum amount of the earned income credit is allowed.
Rev. Proc. 2023-34 (IRS)
Getting a valid SSN after your filing deadline is too late to amend for that year
For the 2024 Earned Income Tax Credit, the IRS requires that you and your spouse if filing jointly have a valid Social Security Number issued by the Social Security Administration on or before the due date of your 2024 return, including extensions. If you or your spouse lacked a valid SSN by that deadline and later obtained one, the IRS does not permit you to file an amended return to claim the EIC for that year. The refundable credit - up to $632 for childless filers, $4,213 for one child, $6,960 for two children, or $7,830 for three or more children - cannot be retroactively claimed on an amended 2024 return if the SSN was obtained after the filing deadline. This rule applies regardless of whether you later became eligible for work authorization; the SSN must have been valid by the original due date or its extension to claim the credit on an original or amended return.
If an SSN for you or your spouse is missing from your return because either you or your spouse didn't have a valid SSN on or before the due date of your 2024 return (including extensions) and you later get a valid SSN, you can’t file an amended return to claim the EIC.
Publication 596 (2024), Earned Income Credit (IRS)
If the credit is bigger than the tax you owe, you get the difference back
IRS Publication 596 explains that the EIC reduces the amount of tax you owe, and it may also give you a refund. In practical terms, if the credit amount you qualify for is larger than the total tax you owe for the year, the IRS pays you the difference as a refund. A taxpayer with no tax liability at all can still receive the full credit as a refund payment. For 2024, the maximum credit amounts are $7,830 for taxpayers with three or more qualifying children, $6,960 for those with two children, $4,213 for those with one child, and $632 for childless filers. The credit is described as a benefit for certain people who work, even when their earnings are modest.
A tax credit usually means more money in your pocket. It reduces the amount of tax you owe. The EIC may also give you a refund.
Publication 596 (2024), Earned Income Credit (IRS)
Getting the EIC does not hurt your eligibility for other federal benefit programs
IRS Publication 596 for 2024 states that the EIC has no effect on certain welfare benefits. Any refund you receive because of the EIC cannot be counted as income when a federal, state, or local program - financed in whole or in part with federal funds - determines whether you, or anyone else, is eligible for benefits or assistance, or how much you may receive. The publication specifically lists Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps), and low-income housing as examples of programs for which the EIC refund is disregarded. In addition, the refund cannot be counted as a resource for at least 12 months after you receive it. The result is that claiming the 2024 EIC does not reduce or disqualify you from other federal benefit programs.
EIC has no effect on certain welfare benefits. Any re- fund you receive because of the EIC can’t be counted as income when determining whether you or anyone else is eligible for benefits or assistance, or how much you or anyone else can receive, under any federal program or un- der any state or local program financed in whole or in part with federal funds. These programs include the following. • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). • Medicaid. • Supplemental Security Income (SSI). • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps). • Low-income housing. In addition, when determining eligibility, the refund can’t be counted as a resource for at least 12 months after you receive it.
Publication 596 (2024), Earned Income Credit (IRS)
A wrong claim can cost you the credit for 2 or 10 years afterward
IRS Publication 596 for 2024 explains that a taxpayer whose EIC claim was denied in a prior year can be barred from claiming the credit again for a period of years afterward. If there is a final determination that the prior EIC claim was due to reckless or intentional disregard of the EIC rules, you cannot claim the credit for 2 years. If the final determination is that the prior claim was due to fraud, the disallowance period is 10 years. During those years you may not take the EIC at all; in other situations where the credit was reduced or disallowed for other reasons (for example, because a child listed on Schedule EIC was not a qualifying child), you may be able to claim the credit again but only by filing Form 8862 with the return. The 2-year and 10-year bars apply only after a final determination by the IRS.
• 2 years after there was a final determination that your EIC claim was due to reckless or intentional disregard of the EIC rules, or • 10 years after there was a final determination that your EIC claim was due to fraud.
Publication 596 (2024), Earned Income Credit (IRS)
How each figure was verified
Each number below was read from a stored copy of the document named beside it, and checked to occur word for word in the quoted sentence. The digest is of that stored text.
Rev. Proc. 2023-34 (IRS)
- Maximum credit, one child
Number of Qualifying Children Item One Two Three or More None Earned Income Amount $12,390 $17,400 $17,400 $8,260 Maximum Amount of Credit $4,213 $6,960 $7,830 $632
- Maximum credit, two children
Number of Qualifying Children Item One Two Three or More None Earned Income Amount $12,390 $17,400 $17,400 $8,260 Maximum Amount of Credit $4,213 $6,960 $7,830 $632
- Maximum credit, three or more children
Number of Qualifying Children Item One Two Three or More None Earned Income Amount $12,390 $17,400 $17,400 $8,260 Maximum Amount of Credit $4,213 $6,960 $7,830 $632
- Maximum credit, childless filers
Number of Qualifying Children Item One Two Three or More None Earned Income Amount $12,390 $17,400 $17,400 $8,260 Maximum Amount of Credit $4,213 $6,960 $7,830 $632
- Earned income amount, one child
Earned Income Amount $12,390
- Earned income amount, two children
Earned Income Amount $12,390 $17,400
- Earned income amount, three or more children
Earned Income Amount $12,390 $17,400 $17,400
- Earned income amount, childless filers
Earned Income Amount $12,390 $17,400 $17,400 $8,260
- Phaseout begins (not filing jointly), one child
Number of Qualifying Children Item One Two Three or More None Earned Income Amount $12,390 $17,400 $17,400 $8,260 Maximum Amount of Credit $4,213 $6,960 $7,830 $632 Threshold Phaseout Amount (Married Filing Jointly) $29,640 $29,640 $29,640 $17,250 Completed Phaseout Amount (Married Filing Jointly) $56,004 $62,688 $66,819 $25,511 Threshold Phaseout Amount (All other filing statuses) $22,720 $22,720 $22,720 $10,330
- Phaseout begins (not filing jointly), two children
Number of Qualifying Children Item One Two Three or More None Earned Income Amount $12,390 $17,400 $17,400 $8,260 Maximum Amount of Credit $4,213 $6,960 $7,830 $632 Threshold Phaseout Amount (Married Filing Jointly) $29,640 $29,640 $29,640 $17,250 Completed Phaseout Amount (Married Filing Jointly) $56,004 $62,688 $66,819 $25,511 Threshold Phaseout Amount (All other filing statuses) $22,720 $22,720 $22,720 $10,330
- Phaseout begins (not filing jointly), three or more children
Number of Qualifying Children Item One Two Three or More None Earned Income Amount $12,390 $17,400 $17,400 $8,260 Maximum Amount of Credit $4,213 $6,960 $7,830 $632 Threshold Phaseout Amount (Married Filing Jointly) $29,640 $29,640 $29,640 $17,250 Completed Phaseout Amount (Married Filing Jointly) $56,004 $62,688 $66,819 $25,511 Threshold Phaseout Amount (All other filing statuses) $22,720 $22,720 $22,720 $10,330
- Phaseout begins (not filing jointly), childless filers
Number of Qualifying Children Item One Two Three or More None Earned Income Amount $12,390 $17,400 $17,400 $8,260 Maximum Amount of Credit $4,213 $6,960 $7,830 $632 Threshold Phaseout Amount (Married Filing Jointly) $29,640 $29,640 $29,640 $17,250 Completed Phaseout Amount (Married Filing Jointly) $56,004 $62,688 $66,819 $25,511 Threshold Phaseout Amount (All other filing statuses) $22,720 $22,720 $22,720 $10,330
- Phaseout begins (joint return), one child
Number of Qualifying Children Item One Two Three or More None Earned Income Amount $12,390 $17,400 $17,400 $8,260 Maximum Amount of Credit $4,213 $6,960 $7,830 $632 Threshold Phaseout Amount (Married Filing Jointly) $29,640 $29,640 $29,640 $17,250
- Phaseout begins (joint return), two children
Number of Qualifying Children Item One Two Three or More None Earned Income Amount $12,390 $17,400 $17,400 $8,260 Maximum Amount of Credit $4,213 $6,960 $7,830 $632 Threshold Phaseout Amount (Married Filing Jointly) $29,640 $29,640 $29,640 $17,250
- Phaseout begins (joint return), three or more children
Number of Qualifying Children Item One Two Three or More None Earned Income Amount $12,390 $17,400 $17,400 $8,260 Maximum Amount of Credit $4,213 $6,960 $7,830 $632 Threshold Phaseout Amount (Married Filing Jointly) $29,640 $29,640 $29,640 $17,250
- Phaseout begins (joint return), childless filers
Number of Qualifying Children Item One Two Three or More None Earned Income Amount $12,390 $17,400 $17,400 $8,260 Maximum Amount of Credit $4,213 $6,960 $7,830 $632 Threshold Phaseout Amount (Married Filing Jointly) $29,640 $29,640 $29,640 $17,250
- Credit reaches zero (not filing jointly), one child
Number of Qualifying Children Item One Two Three or More None Earned Income Amount $12,390 $17,400 $17,400 $8,260 Maximum Amount of Credit $4,213 $6,960 $7,830 $632 Threshold Phaseout Amount (Married Filing Jointly) $29,640 $29,640 $29,640 $17,250 Completed Phaseout Amount (Married Filing Jointly) $56,004 $62,688 $66,819 $25,511 Threshold Phaseout Amount (All other filing statuses) $22,720 $22,720 $22,720 $10,330 Completed Phaseout Amount (All other filing statuses) $49,084 $55,768 $59,899 $18,591
- Credit reaches zero (not filing jointly), two children
Number of Qualifying Children Item One Two Three or More None Earned Income Amount $12,390 $17,400 $17,400 $8,260 Maximum Amount of Credit $4,213 $6,960 $7,830 $632 Threshold Phaseout Amount (Married Filing Jointly) $29,640 $29,640 $29,640 $17,250 Completed Phaseout Amount (Married Filing Jointly) $56,004 $62,688 $66,819 $25,511 Threshold Phaseout Amount (All other filing statuses) $22,720 $22,720 $22,720 $10,330 Completed Phaseout Amount (All other filing statuses) $49,084 $55,768 $59,899 $18,591
- Credit reaches zero (not filing jointly), three or more children
Number of Qualifying Children Item One Two Three or More None Earned Income Amount $12,390 $17,400 $17,400 $8,260 Maximum Amount of Credit $4,213 $6,960 $7,830 $632 Threshold Phaseout Amount (Married Filing Jointly) $29,640 $29,640 $29,640 $17,250 Completed Phaseout Amount (Married Filing Jointly) $56,004 $62,688 $66,819 $25,511 Threshold Phaseout Amount (All other filing statuses) $22,720 $22,720 $22,720 $10,330 Completed Phaseout Amount (All other filing statuses) $49,084 $55,768 $59,899 $18,591
- Credit reaches zero (not filing jointly), childless filers
Number of Qualifying Children Item One Two Three or More None Earned Income Amount $12,390 $17,400 $17,400 $8,260 Maximum Amount of Credit $4,213 $6,960 $7,830 $632 Threshold Phaseout Amount (Married Filing Jointly) $29,640 $29,640 $29,640 $17,250 Completed Phaseout Amount (Married Filing Jointly) $56,004 $62,688 $66,819 $25,511 Threshold Phaseout Amount (All other filing statuses) $22,720 $22,720 $22,720 $10,330 Completed Phaseout Amount (All other filing statuses) $49,084 $55,768 $59,899 $18,591
- Credit reaches zero (joint return), one child
Number of Qualifying Children Item One Two Three or More None Earned Income Amount $12,390 $17,400 $17,400 $8,260 Maximum Amount of Credit $4,213 $6,960 $7,830 $632 Threshold Phaseout Amount (Married Filing Jointly) $29,640 $29,640 $29,640 $17,250 Completed Phaseout Amount (Married Filing Jointly) $56,004 $62,688 $66,819 $25,511
- Credit reaches zero (joint return), two children
Number of Qualifying Children Item One Two Three or More None Earned Income Amount $12,390 $17,400 $17,400 $8,260 Maximum Amount of Credit $4,213 $6,960 $7,830 $632 Threshold Phaseout Amount (Married Filing Jointly) $29,640 $29,640 $29,640 $17,250 Completed Phaseout Amount (Married Filing Jointly) $56,004 $62,688 $66,819 $25,511
- Credit reaches zero (joint return), three or more children
Number of Qualifying Children Item One Two Three or More None Earned Income Amount $12,390 $17,400 $17,400 $8,260 Maximum Amount of Credit $4,213 $6,960 $7,830 $632 Threshold Phaseout Amount (Married Filing Jointly) $29,640 $29,640 $29,640 $17,250 Completed Phaseout Amount (Married Filing Jointly) $56,004 $62,688 $66,819 $25,511
- Credit reaches zero (joint return), childless filers
Number of Qualifying Children Item One Two Three or More None Earned Income Amount $12,390 $17,400 $17,400 $8,260 Maximum Amount of Credit $4,213 $6,960 $7,830 $632 Threshold Phaseout Amount (Married Filing Jointly) $29,640 $29,640 $29,640 $17,250 Completed Phaseout Amount (Married Filing Jointly) $56,004 $62,688 $66,819 $25,511