Note to tax return preparers about the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Child Tax Credit (CTC), Additional Child Tax Credit, (ACTC), and American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC)
Our goal is to make sure every eligible individual receives the correct amount of the credit(s) they are entitled to receive. The IRS considers you an essential partner in helping individuals and families understand the requirements and claim the credit(s) only when appropriate. Each year, millions of taxpayers claim refundable credits, and the dollar amount paid out in error is significant. For example, IRS estimates the following erroneous payment rates for the credits of all payments made in fiscal year 2023*.
- 33.5% of all EITC payments of $65.4 billion
- 31.6% of all AOTC payments of $5.2 billion
- 14.5% of all ACTC payments of $3.8 billion
*Source: FY 2023 Improper Payment Estimates, Research, Applied Analytics & Statistics, IRS, August 2023
We are committed to providing you with the information and tools you need to prepare complete and accurate returns claiming these credits.
If you have comments or suggestions on improving this toolkit, please let us know.