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Posts Tagged ‘Earned Income Tax Credit’

If you haven’t filed a tax return in years, the Internal Revenue Service wants you – and not in the way that you think.

The IRS is actually looking to return $1.3 billion in unclaimed refunds to roughly 1.4 million people who never filed a federal income tax return for 2006. If you happen to be among those non-filers, you must act fast because to collect any money you are owed, a tax return for 2006 must be filed by April 15, 2010. Under the law, you only have 3 years to claim a tax refund; after three years, any money that would have been due to you becomes the property of the U.S. Treasury.

Lots of people don’t file tax returns for a host of reasons. Some people earned too little money, and weren’t required to file. They may nevertheless be entitled to a refund, based on taxes paid or tax credits for which they were eligible. At other times, however, people don’t file a return simply because they owe money – or they’re scared that they may owe money. Even if you owe the IRS, chances are you can work out a payment plan to clear up past-due payments. If you didn’t owe money, and didn’t file a 2006 tax return, you don’t have to worry about penalties because penalties are only imposed on individuals who had taxes due.

According to IRS statistics, the typical unclaimed refund for 2006 is $604.

The states with the highest numbers of non-filers who have a 2006 tax refund waiting for them are: California (159,800 individuals); Texas (109,600 individuals); Florida (101,700 individuals); and New York (76,700 individuals).

What’s more, many people who didn’t file their taxes a few years ago may stand to gain even bigger refunds if they made less than approximately $38,000 in 2006 and claim the Earned Income Tax Credit.

For more information about getting an unclaimed refund, check out more on this IRS video in English or Spanish.

By Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach

Although you can receive an Earned Income Tax Credit even if you have no children, the largest EITC refunds go to those with at least one ‘qualifying child’ on their returns.

If you want to claim someone on your taxes as a ‘qualifying child’ in order to get the EITC, you must meet federal guidelines. The IRS establishes three tests to determine whether your child is a so-called ‘qualifying child.’ The three tests examine relationship, age and residency.

According to the IRS, to be considered your ‘qualifying child’ for the EITC, a child must be your:

• son, daughter, stepchild, adopted child, eligible foster child, or a descendant of any of them, such as your grandchild; or
• brother, sister, half brother, half sister, stepbrother, stepsister, or a descendant of any of them (such as your nephew or niece)

Relationship, Age and Residency

What this means, thankfully, is that the EITC doesn’t just help parents. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and even siblings can get this refundable tax credit, as long as they can claim a ‘qualifying child’ that they lived with for more than half of the year.

Regarding the IRS’s age requirements, you can claim someone as a ‘qualifying child’ for the EITC provided the individual was 18 years of age or younger at the end of the tax year. You can also claim young adults up to and including age 23 if they were a full-time student for at least one semester. Lastly, you can claim someone of any age as a ‘qualifying child’ if that individual is totally disabled.

Under the IRS’s residency test, the ‘qualifying child’ must have lived with you in the U.S. for at least six months and a day in 2008.

Would you like to receive a no-strings-attached check for hundreds or even thousands of dollars from the federal government this tax season? If you can answer “Yes” to 10 short questions, you may qualify for a huge financial windfall, compliments of Uncle Sam.

The financial windfall is the Earned Income Tax Credit. The EITC has been touted as one of the best anti-poverty, pro-family tax measures ever created because it targets working individuals and helps them keep more of their hard-earned money. There are many rules governing eligibility for the EITC. But if you can answer “Yes” to each of the following 10 questions, chances are you qualify for the EITC and may have a big check coming your way:

1. Were you a United States citizen or resident alien for all of 2008?

2. Have you lived in the U.S. for more than half a year (i.e. six months and a day)? (Note: living in U.S. territories – such as Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin islands or American Samoa — does not count).

3. Do you (and your spouse, if filing a joint return) have a valid social security number?

4. Did you have earned income from a job last year? (Note: earned income includes wages, salaries, tips, taxable employee pay, non-taxable combat pay, net earnings from self-employment, clergy income, strike benefits, disability benefits, and gross income received as a statutory employee)

5. Based on your family size, was your earned income and adjusted gross income last year less than IRS limits established for the EITC? (Note: for singles, the income limits set by the IRS are capped at $38,646; for married tax filers, the maximum income limit is $41,646. See the table below for more details).

NO CHILDREN 1 CHILD 2 OR MORE CHILDREN

Single Income Cap $12,880 $33,995 $38,646

Married Income Cap $15,880 $36,995 $41,646

Max Credit-Single $438 $2,917 $4,824

Max Credit-Married $438 $2,917 $4,824

6. Is your tax filing status any of the following: single, head of household, qualifying widow(er), or married filing jointly? (Note: married filing separately is the one filing status that disqualifies you for the EITC).

7. Are you at least 25 years old, but under the age 65? (Note: If you are under 25, or are age 65 and older, are you raising a child, grandchild or other descendant that you can claim as a ‘qualifying child?’)

8. Did you earn investment income of $2,950 or less for the most recent tax year? (Note: Investment income includes ordinary dividends, capital gain distributions, taxable interest, and tax-exempt interest).

9. Can you confirm that neither you nor your spouse is the ‘qualifying child’ of another person? (Note: See the IRS definition of a ‘qualifying child’ below).

10. Can you confirm that neither you nor your spouse is filing Form 255, Foreign Earned Income or Form 2555-EZ, Foreign Earned Income Exclusion? (Note: These forms allow you to exclude income earned in a foreign country from your gross income, or to deduct or exclude a foreign housing amount).

If you answered “Yes” to every question above, congratulations! To get the fastest refund, use IRS e-file (http://www.irs.gov/efile) and direct deposit. Filing a Federal return electronically is safe, easy and free, plus you’ll get your refund wired into your checking or savings account in 10 to 14 days.

By Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach

Would you like to receive a no-strings-attached check for hundreds or even thousands of dollars from the federal government this tax season? If you can answer “Yes” to 10 short questions, you may qualify for a huge financial windfall, compliments of Uncle Sam.

The free money in question is the Earned Income Tax Credit, also known as the EITC. The EITC is a refundable tax credit ranging from $438 to $4,824 and designed to supplement wages for low-to-moderate income workers. But don’t be fooled by the term “low-income,” because it doesn’t just apply to blue-collar employees or those earning small salaries. Tens of millions of individuals and families previously classified as “middle class” – including many white-collar workers – are now considered “low income” because they lost a job, took a pay cut, or worked fewer hours last year.

Since the EITC is a tax credit, not a deduction, if you claim the EITC you can slash the taxes you owe to zero, and even get lots of money back from the government.

The IRS reports that the average EITC refund is about $2,000. The exact refund you receive depends on your income, marital status and family size. To get a refund from the EITC you must file a tax refund, even if you don’t owe any taxes.

In 2008, 24 million taxpayers used the EITC program to claim more than $48 billion. Unfortunately, 25% of taxpayers who are eligible for the earned income credit fail to claim it, according to the IRS. Some people miss out on the EITC because the rules can be complicated. Others simply aren’t aware that they qualify for this hefty benefit.

You don’t have to remain in the dark, however, about the earned income credit. Check back tomorrow, I’ll post a 10-question quiz that let’s you see if you qualify. You can also get help with the EITC by using the new EITC Assistant, available in English and Spanish on the IRS website: