other requirements. In the 2013 tax year, working families with children that have annual incomes below $37,870 to $51,567 (depending on the number of dependent children) may be eligible for the federal EIC. Workers without children that have incomes below about $14,340 ($19,680 for a married couple) can receive a very small EIC benefit. 

 

For tax year 2013, the maximum EIC benefit for a single person or couple filing without qualifying children is $487. The maximum EIC with one qualifying child is $3,250, with two children it is $5,372, and with three or more qualifying children it is $6,044. These amounts are indexed annually for inflation. The Atlantic magazine estimated that the EIC will cost about $70 billion in 2015. Lifting the cap on Social Security taxes will bring in $100 billion per...

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