Earned Income Credit (EIC) Estimator
Estimate your 2026 Earned Income Credit (EIC/EITC).
Based on filing status, number of qualifying children, and earned income.
For planning purposes.
Changing your currency elsewhere on the site will not affect this page.
What Is the Earned Income Credit (EIC)?
The Earned Income Credit (also called EITC) is a refundable federal tax credit for low-to-moderate income workers. If the credit exceeds your tax owed, you receive the difference as a refund.
It rewards working: you must have earned income (wages, tips, self-employment) to claim it. Investment income disqualifies you if it exceeds a threshold.
2026 Maximum Credit Amounts
| Children | Maximum Credit | Income Limit (Single) | Income Limit (MFJ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | $664 | $19,540 | $26,820 |
| 1 | $4,427 | $51,593 | $58,863 |
| 2 | $7,316 | $58,629 | $65,899 |
| 3 or more | $8,231 | $62,974 | $70,224 |
How the Credit Is Calculated
The EIC has three regions:
- Phase-in: credit rises as earned income increases
- Plateau: maximum credit is maintained
- Phase-out: credit decreases as income rises above the threshold
The exact calculation depends on a lookup table published by the IRS each year. This calculator provides an estimate using simplified linear formulas.
Who Qualifies?
- Must have earned income (wages, salary, tips, self-employment net income)
- AGI must be below the income limit for your filing status
- Cannot file as Married Filing Separately
- Investment income must be under the annual IRS limit, and this is a cliff rather than a taper. One dollar over and the entire credit disappears, no matter how modest your earned income is. The limit is $12,200 for 2026 and was $11,950 for 2025. It counts interest (taxable and tax-exempt), dividends, capital gain net income, and net rental or royalty income. A single good year in a brokerage account can cost a family several thousand dollars of credit, which is why it is worth checking before you sell anything in December
- Must be a U.S. citizen or resident alien
- Children must meet age, relationship, and residency tests
Refundable Credit
The EIC is fully refundable. If your credit is $4,000 and you owe $1,000 in taxes, you receive a $3,000 refund.
How we build and check this calculator
This calculator runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay on your device. The math behind it is written by hand and tested against worked examples and standard references before the page goes live.
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