EITC Calculator: How Much Earned Income Credit Will I Get?
For tax year 2026, the return you file in 2027, the earned income credit is worth up to $664 with no qualifying children, $4,427 with one, $7,316 with two and $8,231 with three or more. For tax year 2027 the maximums are $685, $4,573, $7,552 and $8,496 (Rev. Proc. 2026-35). You get the maximum only in the middle range of income; enter your numbers below to see where you fall.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Amounts checked against IRS and statute text on November 7, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Your return
Wages, tips and overtime, plus net self-employment earnings after the deduction for half of self-employment tax, for you and your spouse if filing jointly.
Taxable and tax-exempt interest, dividends, net capital gain and certain net rental, royalty and passive income (section 32(i)). The limit is $12,200.
The starting numbers are an example, not a recommendation. Replace them with yours.
Your estimated 2026 credit
Estimated earned income credit for tax year 2026
$4,427
An estimate using the IRS table method. The IRS computes the actual credit.
Plateau: your income is in the range where you get the maximum credit for your number of children.
- Amounts used (all other filing statuses)
- Threshold $23,890, completed $51,593
- Table lookup on earned income
- $4,427
- Table lookup on AGI (only when AGI is at or above the threshold)
- Not needed
- For comparison: the exact formula of section 32(a)(2)
- $4,427
The IRS table uses the midpoint of each $50 income band, so it can differ from the exact formula by a few dollars. The result above is the table amount.
The credit is the smaller of the two lookups, and $0 if a note above says the credit is not allowed. With no qualifying children, the age rule (at least 25 and under 65) is not checked here.
Phase-in, plateau and phase-out
The credit has three stages. It grows with earned income up to the earned income amount, stays at its maximum until the threshold phaseout amount, then shrinks to $0 at the completed phaseout amount. The result above says which stage your numbers are in.
“The amount of the credit allowable to a taxpayer under paragraph (1) for any taxable year shall not exceed the excess (if any) of— | (A) the credit percentage of the earned income amount, over | (B) the phaseout percentage of so much of the adjusted gross income (or, if greater, the earned income) of the taxpayer for the taxable year as exceeds the phaseout amount.”
“For taxable years beginning in 2026, the earned income tax credit is not allowed under § 32(i) if the aggregate amount of certain investment income exceeds $12,200.”
Related pages
- Child tax credit calculator: the credit for children under 17, with its refundable part.
- Tax refund schedule: EITC refunds cannot be issued before mid-February; this page estimates the timing after that.
- Earned income credit 2026 and 2027: the full tables, income limits and statute text.
Frequently asked questions
How much earned income credit will I get?
For tax year 2026 the maximum is $664 with no qualifying children, $4,427 with one, $7,316 with two and $8,231 with three or more. For 2027 it is $685, $4,573, $7,552 and $8,496. Your credit depends on your earned income and AGI; the calculator shows where you fall.
What are the phase-in, the plateau and the phase-out?
Below the earned income amount the credit grows with each dollar you earn (phase-in). From there up to the threshold phaseout amount you get the maximum (plateau). Above the threshold the credit shrinks (phase-out) until it reaches $0 at the completed phaseout amount. The greater of your AGI and earned income decides the phase-out.
How much investment income is allowed?
The credit is not allowed if your investment income is over $12,200 for tax year 2026 ($12,600 for 2027). One dollar over means $0.
Which year should I choose?
Choose 2026 for the return you file in early 2027, and 2027 for income earned in 2027 (filed in 2028). The default is 2026.
What does this calculator not check?
It calculates only the federal credit. It does not decide your filing status, whether a child is a qualifying child, Social Security numbers, residency, the age rule for filers with no qualifying child, or being someone else's dependent. Use the IRS EITC Assistant for the IRS's answer on those.
When will I get my EITC refund?
By law the IRS cannot issue refunds for returns that claim the EITC before mid-February. See the tax refund schedule on this site for the typical timing after that.
Where do the 2027 amounts come from?
Rev. Proc. 2026-35, section 3.06, released November 5, 2026. The 2026 amounts are in Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.06.
Sources (checked November 7, 2026): IRS: Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) · IRS: EITC Assistant · IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.06 (2026 amounts) · IRS Rev. Proc. 2026-35, section 3.06 (2027 amounts) · 26 U.S.C. 32