TaxGuyBill
Level 15

@athaureaux6 wrote:

I still have not found any source that says that in 2020 you can get the EITC with no earned income at all, using only the 2019 earned income amount. Yesterday many of us agreed that it could be possible but honestly, I doubt it. Where does it say that? I am talking about 0 earned income. 


 

The LAW says it.  Rick posted the pertinent part about the previous year Earned Income above (see my copy-and-paste below).

As I said, the law is really clear.  If your Earned Income in 2020 is less than your Earned Income in 2019, you can choose to use your 2019 Earned Income.  Then you (or the program) just fills out the EIC worksheets to see the results.

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040gi.pdf#page=40

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040gi.pdf#page=45

 

"If the earned income of the taxpayer for the taxpayer’s first taxable year beginning in 2020 is less than the earned income of the taxpayer for the preceding taxable year, the credits allowed under sections 24(d) and 32 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 may, at the election of the taxpayer, be determined by substituting
(1) such earned income for the preceding taxable year, for
(2) such earned income for the taxpayer’s first taxable year beginning in 2020."