What's New(p4)

The EIC has increased for people with three or more children and for many married couples filing jointly. Also, the maximum amount of income you can earn and still get the credit has increased. You may be able to take the credit if:

• You have three or more qualifying children and you earned less than $43,279 ($48,279 if married filing jointly),
• You have two qualifying children and you earned less than $40,295 ($45,295 if married filing jointly),
• You have one qualifying child and you earned less than $35,463 ($40,463 if married filing jointly), or
• You do not have a qualifying child and you earned less than $13,440 ($18,440 if married filing jointly).

Your adjusted gross income also must be less than the amount in the above list that applies to you. For details, see Rules 1 and 15.

The maximum amount of investment income you can have and still get the credit has increased to $3,100. See Rule 6.

For 2009, the following changes have been made to the definition of a qualifying child.

• To be your qualifying child, a child must be younger than you unless the child is permanently and totally disabled.
• A child cannot be your qualifying child if he or she files a joint return, unless the return was filed only as a claim for refund.
• If the parents of a child can claim the child as a qualifying child but no parent so claims the child, no one else can claim the child as a qualifying child unless that person's adjusted gross income (AGI) is higher than the highest AGI of any of the child's parents who can claim the child.