Tax Policy Center

Fiscal Facts

January 21, 2019
Number of EITC Recipients Annually
Fact: 
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) provides financial assistance to low-income working families. It was introduced in 1975 and expanded in legislation in 1986, 1990, 1993, and 2009. The number of recipients has increased from 6.2 million in 1975 to 27.4 million in 2016.