What forms do I need to qualify for EITC and how to file for the Earned Income Tax Credit?

Hey tax fam! Quick question about the Earned Income Tax Credit. My hubby and I just had our first baby in September 2024 (she's so cute!!) and I think we might qualify for the EITC this year. I'm currently not working to take care of our little one, and my husband is the only income earner now. He makes around $52,000 yearly with his base salary plus commissions (he's in sales). I'm totally clueless about what specific forms we need to fill out for our 2024 taxes to claim the EITC. Do we have to request a special form or something? And roughly how much EITC would a family of 3 like us qualify for? Also, I'm assuming we can still get the child tax credit too, right?? We're really trying to maximize our refund this year since we're down to just one income now. Any advice would be super appreciated!! Tax season is coming up fast and I want to make sure we're prepared.

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18 comments

Victoria Brown

•8M

You don't need to fill out any special forms to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit! The EITC is calculated on Schedule EIC, which is part of your regular tax return. When you file your taxes (either with software or through a preparer), you'll just need to provide your income information and family details, and the EITC will be calculated automatically. For a family of 3 (you, your husband, and your new baby) with an income around $52,000, you should qualify for some EITC, though not the maximum amount since the credit phases out as income increases. For 2024 taxes (filed in 2025), a family with one qualifying child and income around $52,000 would likely receive a partial EITC - probably in the $1,000-$1,500 range. And yes! You can definitely claim both the EITC and the Child Tax Credit. For 2024, the Child Tax Credit is worth up to $2,000 per qualifying child under 17. Since your baby was born in 2024, they count as your dependent for the full year.

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Victoria Brown

•8M

Any good tax software will automatically include Schedule EIC when you enter information that indicates you might qualify. You don't need to specifically request it. The software will ask questions about your income, family status, etc., and determine your eligibility. Your husband's varying commission income doesn't complicate the EITC calculation. You'll just report his total income from his W-2 (including all commissions paid), and the software will use that total figure to calculate your credit. Just make sure you have all his income documents before filing.

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Camila Castillo

•8M

I had almost the exact same situation last year when I went on maternity leave! I was so confused about all the tax credits and forms. I found this free tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that was super helpful. You can upload your tax documents and it explains everything line by line, including exactly how to maximize credits like the EITC. It showed me that I qualified for more credits than I realized, and walked me through the whole process. I was worried I'd miss something since our income had changed so much after the baby, but this tool made it way easier to understand what we qualified for.

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Camila Castillo

•8M

It doesn't file your taxes - it just analyzes your documents and explains everything in simple terms. It shows you what credits you qualify for and why, so you can make sure you're claiming everything correctly when you do use TurboTax or whatever service. Security is definitely important! They use bank-level encryption and don't store your actual documents after analysis. I was hesitant too but they explain their security measures on the site. Plus, I only uploaded my previous year's return to get guidance, not my actual W-2s or anything with my SSN.

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Brianna Muhammad

•8M

Just wanted to update! I tried that taxr.ai site that was mentioned here and it was actually super helpful. I uploaded last year's return and it showed me exactly where I missed out on some credits I could've claimed. For this year, it explained exactly how the EITC works with our income level and new baby situation. I was worried it would be complicated but it literally highlighted the sections of my tax forms and explained everything in normal human language lol. Definitely will help me get the maximum refund when I file this year. It showed me that we'll get around $1,300 in EITC plus the full $2,000 child tax credit!

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Eloise Kendrick

•8M

If you're having trouble figuring out the EITC or getting your refund, you might want to call the IRS directly. The problem is that it's almost impossible to get through to them these days. I spent HOURS on hold last year trying to fix an issue with my EITC claim. I finally discovered https://claimyr.com which got me through to an actual IRS agent in under 15 minutes. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. After weeks of frustration, I was shocked it actually worked. The agent was able to verify my EITC eligibility and resolve the issue immediately. Saved me so much stress during an already stressful time as a new parent.

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Eloise Kendrick

•8M

They use some kind of technology that navigates the IRS phone system and waits on hold for you. When they reach an agent, they call you and connect you directly. I don't understand exactly how it works, but it's like having someone wait in line for you. I get the skepticism - I felt the same way! But I was desperate after waiting on hold for 3+ hours multiple times. It's not magic - they're just using technology to handle the hold time so you don't have to sit there listening to that awful hold music. When they get through, you get the call and talk directly to the same IRS agents everyone else does.

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Freya Collins

•8M

Okay I need to publicly eat my words. After my skeptical comment, I was still struggling to get answers about my EITC eligibility because of some weird income reporting issues. Decided I had nothing to lose and tried that Claimyr service. It actually worked exactly as described. I got a call back in about 30 minutes, was connected directly to an IRS agent, and got my questions answered. The agent confirmed I was eligible for both EITC and Child Tax Credit and explained exactly what I needed to do with my tax forms. Saved me DAYS of frustration. Sometimes it's worth admitting when you're wrong!

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LongPeri

•8M

Don't forget that if your income is under $60,000, you can get your taxes done for FREE through the VITA program (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance). They're specifically trained to help with credits like the EITC and Child Tax Credit. Just Google "VITA site near me" to find locations. This will save you from paying for tax software and they'll make sure you get every credit you qualify for. I've used them for years and they're amazing volunteers who really know their stuff about tax credits for families!

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LongPeri

•8M

The VITA volunteers are definitely qualified! They receive specific training and certification from the IRS before they can prepare returns. Many are accounting students, retired tax professionals, or people who work in finance. They don't offer audit guarantees like paid services might, but their accuracy rate is excellent because they focus specifically on less complicated returns like those claiming EITC. They also have a quality review process where a second volunteer checks everything before filing. I've used them for 5 years with no issues whatsoever!

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