You must meet the following requirements to receive Earned Income Tax Credit:
- You must have a valid Social Security Number.
- You must have earned income from employment or from self-employment and the amount of income cannot exceed the limits set forth by the IRS.
- Your filing status cannot be married filing separately.
- You must be a U.S. citizen or resident alien all year, or a nonresident alien married to a U.S. citizen or resident alien and filing a joint return.
- You cannot be a qualifying child of another person.
If you do not have a qualifying child, you must:
- Be age 25 but under 65 at the end of the year
- Live in the United States for more than half the year
- Not qualify as a dependent of another person
- Cannot file Form 2555 or 2555-EZ (related to foreign earn income)