Earned Income Credit & Valid Social Security Number
To qualify for the EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit), everyone you claim on your taxes must have a valid Social Security number (SSN). To be valid, the SSN must be:
- Valid for employment
- Issued before the due date of the tax return you plan to claim (including extensions*)
For the EITC, IRS will accept a Social Security number on a Social Security card that has the words, “Valid for work with DHS authorization,” on it.
For the EITC, IRS will NOT accept:
- Individual taxpayer identification numbers (ITIN)
- Adoption taxpayer identification numbers (ATIN)
- Social Security numbers on Social Security cards that have the words, “Not Valid for Employment,” on them
For more information about the Social Security number rules for the EITC, see Rule 2 in Publication 596, Earned Income Credit.
Rule 2—You Must Have a Valid Social Security Number (SSN) To claim the EIC, you (and your spouse, if filing a joint return) must have a valid SSN issued by the Social Security Administration (SSA) by the due date of your return (including extensions*). Your qualifying child must have a valid SSN issued on or before the due date of your return (including extensions*) for you to claim a higher EIC credit amount based on that child.
Note *Including extensions” means a timely filed extension.