Confirmed by the IRS | Families with two qualifying children could receive up to US$7,316: who can apply for the benefit with Form 1040

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offers a tax benefit that allows certain taxpayers to access refunds of up to US$7,316, as long as they meet the established requirements.

This is the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) aimed at workers and families with low or moderate incomes, and the amount varies depending on their income, marital status, and number of qualifying children.

Who could receive refunds of up to US$7,316?

According to the official IRS amounts, for tax year 2026, taxpayers with two qualifying children will be able to access a maximum credit of US$7,316.

The requirements to receive this benefit are:

• Have income from work, either as employees or self-employed workers.
• Have a valid Social Security Number (SSN) for work.
• Be U.S. citizens or resident aliens throughout the entire tax year.
• Not file Form 2555, which applies to income earned abroad.
• Meet the income limits established according to your marital status and number of qualifying children.

In the case of taxpayers with two qualifying children, the adjusted gross income and earned income must be less than US$58,629 for single filers or US$65,899 for married filing jointly.

The amount of US$7,316 is the maximum that can be received for two children, but it depends on the person’s income and tax situation.

What requirements must children meet to be “qualifying”?

The IRS sets four main criteria to determine whether a child can be considered eligible to claim the EITC.

• Relationship: must be a son, stepchild, adopted child, eligible foster child, sibling, half-sibling, grandchild, nephew, or other relative who meets the permitted relationships.
• Age: must be under 19, or under 24 if studying full time for at least five months of the year. There is no age limit when the child has a total and permanent disability.
• Residence: must have lived with the taxpayer in the United States for more than half of the tax year.
• Joint return: cannot file a joint return with their spouse, except for certain exceptions related to claiming refunds.

Additionally, they must have a valid SSN and cannot be claimed as a child by more than one taxpayer.

When should Form 1040 be filed?

To claim the EITC corresponding to income earned during 2026, taxpayers must file their federal tax return in 2027.

The general deadline to file Form 1040 is April 15, 2027, according to the IRS calendar.

Those who apply for this benefit must file:

• Form 1040 or 1040-SR: to report their income and claim the credit.
• Schedule EIC is required when claiming the benefit for one or more qualifying children.

The IRS clarifies that eligible people may claim the credit even when their income does not require them to file a federal return.

EITC refunds cannot be issued until after mid-February due to federal provisions for verifying claims for fraud.