Details of Public Law 117-2, section 9621 , Strengthening the Earned Income Tax Credit for Individuals with No Qualifying Children

For the 2021 tax year, in the case of a taxpayer with no qualifying children, the minimum age to qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is reduced from 25 to 19. However, if the individual is a specified student (or, in the case of a married individual, if both the individual and the individual’s spouse are specified students), the minimum age is reduced from 25 to 24. The section further reduces the minimum age to 18 for any qualified former foster youth or qualified homeless youth.

The section also temporarily removes the upper age limit on the credit for taxpayers with no qualifying children. Therefore, taxpayers 65 and older without qualifying children may claim the credit in 2021.

This section also increases the federal credit and phase out percentages and the earned income and phase out amounts for those that do not have a qualifying child.

This section also requires the Secretary of the Treasury to develop and implement procedures to use information returns under IRC section 6050S to check the status of individuals as specified students.