[costello]

My son is on disability. This past year he had two small temporary jobs where he earned $3000 total. He filed his federal income tax return and received a letter back from the IRS saying he may be eligible for the earned income tax credit. I didn't know that people without dependents were eligible.

My question: would the fact that he's on disability make him ineligible for the EIC?

[shezbut]

Hi costello,

I am on SSI myself. I have worked here and there and have been shocked when my taxes were done for the years worked. Very weird!

Even though I didn't pay much at all in taxes, I am still eligible for large refunds both federally and state-wise. I, personally, don't get it at all. It makes NO SENSE to me! But, a lot of this SSI stuff is really confusing to me though.

I wasn't the one who did my taxes in the past 10 years probably. The people who do my taxes now are volunteers with Salvation Army (I think?). Anyway, they've assured me many times that they're computations are accurate. The government sort of pays the disabled to work, in a way. It's motivation to keep going. I think that's how they put it.

[Perna]

Is he at least 25? Looks like he qualifies to me:

EITC, Earned Income Tax Credit, Questions and Answers

Disability is not "earned income" so has nothing to do with it I don't think.

[unaluna]

I got it last year too when all I did was "work" as a medical test dummy. I have no kids. I was totally surprised.

[costello]

I was surprised you don't need to have children too.

I looked through the requirements carefully. As I read it, it says that since he lived more that half the year with me (his mother) and is over 25 and 'permanently disabled,' he doesn't qualify.

It doesn't seem fair, because he paid me rent each month, and he supported himself. But at this point that's how I'm reading it. If he had lived with a friend, I guess he'd qualify.

[Perna]

It doesn't matter where/with whom he lives unless he qualifies as YOUR dependent child; don't get confused between the part about his having a dependent child (and those definitions/qualifications) and being one. You have to be able to claim him as a dependent for him to have been a dependent child and I don't think you can do that so he was not, himself, a dependent child.

He just has to:

be age 25 but under 65 at the end of the year,
live in the United States for more than half the year, and
not qualify as a dependent of another person.

The earned income credit and child tax credit are two separate things. EIC is based on your earned income vs. child tax credit is based on your income IF you have children. If you make below a certain amount, and have kids you would qualify for both EIC and Child tax credit.

he just qualifies for the EIC based on his income alone.

Regarding the SSI I don't have an answer about.