Tax Policy Center

Fiscal Facts

May 6, 2019
Total Amount of EITC Claimed Annually
Fact: 
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) was established in 1975. The total amount of credit claimed in 1975 was $1.2 billion (or $5.6 billion in 2016 dollars). In 2016, the total was $66.7 billion, almost 12 times larger in real terms.