You could be eligible to get more money back from the IRS - as much as $5,666. If you earned less than $48,362 from wages, self-employment, or farming last year, you may qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit - or EITC.
EITC is a financial boost for working people hit by hard economic times. You may qualify for the first time if your financial, marital or parental status changed in 2010.
Eligibility is based on several factors, including the source and amount of your income, or combined income if married, whether you have qualifying children and how many. Workers without children also may qualify.
Four of five eligible people claim and get their EITC. Use IRS's online EITC Assistant to see if you qualify. If so, you must file to get it.
To get help• Go to http://•for free information and forms. And the interactive EITC Assistant can show you if you qualify.
• Visit a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance listed below for free help and tax preparation.
• Use Free File at www.irs.gov
• Find a qualified tax preparer.
• Call 1-800-TAX-3676 for free IRS publications and forms.
• Call 1-800-TAX-4059 if you have access to TTYTDD equipment for the hearing impaired.
Oregon also has an Earned Income Credit available if you qualify to claim the federal EITC. Your Oregon EIC is 6 percent of your federal EITC if you're a full-time resident and 6 percent of your federal EITC multiplied by your Oregon percentage if you're a part-year resident or nonresident. For example: If your federal credit is $400, your Oregon credit is $24 ($400 x 0.06).
