Eligibility for Earned Income Credit
By: AARP Tax-Aide |
Q: My question is on the Earned Income Credit (EIC). My husband, myself, and our granddaughter are the three we claim. We get Social Security, and my husband, who is 65, gets a pension. All totaled, it is less than the $32,000 allowed, so we do not have to file the Social Security. We want to file for Earned Income Credit, since we have one child. Can we file EIC using the pension we paid federal taxes on, or is it wages only? Help please.
You must have income from salaries and wages or self-employment income to qualify. Pensions and Social Security are not earned income for this purpose.
These questions are actual inquiries submitted by taxpayers to our AARP Tax-Aide Program. The AARP Tax-Aide Program is a volunteer-run, free tax-preparation and assistance program offered to low- and middle-income taxpayers with special attention to those age 60 and older. Our volunteers are trained and IRS-certified to understand individual federal-tax issues. Our volunteers provide tax assistance as a public service and cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information provided.
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