FINANCE
Can I claim up to $10,000 of EITC and CalEITC in my Tax Refund?
There are tax refund available for Californians that could lead to a very healthy tax return if they qualify.
Though tax season is coming to an end, it is no less important to file your taxes. Tax refunds can be an extra boost in your bank account in the run-up to summer and there are a couple available that you may be able to take advantage of.
A credit available is the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which is aimed at low-income workers and their families possibly worth almost $7,000. EITC recipients can receive up to $6,935. However, the exact amount will depend on the situation of each family or individual applying, such as the number of children one has or annual income.
For someone to qualify for the maximum EITC they must have 3 or more qualifying children and file taxes earning less than $$53,057 if single filing or $59,187 if filing jointly.
There is another credit, this time for Californians only. Earned Income Tax Credit in California (CalEITC) offers up to $3,417. To claim the highest amount of the credit then you need to have three or more children and be earning at least $1.00 no more than $30,000.
Both credits combined are worth $10,352.
How to claim the credits
The federal EITC requires filing of your federal return (form 1040EZ, 1040 or 1040A and Schedule Earned Income Credit).
California EITC requires filing of your state return (form 540 2EZ or 540) and having earned income reported on a W-2 form (i.e. wages, salaries, and tips) subject to California withholding.
Correction: A previous version of this article listed the value of the EITC tax credits for an earlier tax year. The value of the credits have been updated for the 2022 tax year.