Skip to main content
CalEITC — California Earned Income Tax Credit

CalEITC — California Earned Income Tax Credit

Phone number
none
Category
Money
Auto tags
Eligibility
CalFresh recipients; low‑income individuals; families with a child under 6; current and former foster youth ages 18–25
Auto Summary
Refundable California state tax credit worth up to $3,756 for tax year 2025 (filed in 2026) for working Californians earning $32,900 or less — stacks on top of federal EITC. Includes up to $1,189 Young Child Tax Credit (YCTC) for kids under 6 and up to $1,189 Foster Youth Tax Credit (FYTC) for former foster youth ages 18-25. ITIN filers including undocumented workers qualify. Claim by filing California Form 540 with FTB Form 3514 — free via CalFile, Cash App Taxes, or AARP Tax-Aide / VITA. (IRS Direct File is no longer available for 2026; use IRS Free File for the federal side.) Verified 2026-05-30
Value
$3,756
Espanol
CalEITC — Crédito de Impuesto sobre los Ingresos del Trabajo de California
URL
https://www.ftb.ca.gov/file/personal/credits/california-earned-income-tax-credit.html
CalEITC is a refundable California state tax credit for low-income working Californians — worth up to $3,756 for tax year 2025, on top of the federal EITC. Even if you don't owe taxes, the state pays you the difference as a refund.

Who Qualifies (2025 Tax Year)

You may qualify if all of these are true:
  • You earned at least $1 in wages, salary, tips, or self-employment income during 2025
  • Your earned income and federal AGI are both less than $32,901 [Source: ftb.ca.gov 2025 Form 3514 booklet (accessed 2026-05-16)]
  • You're at least 18 years old or have a qualifying child (no upper age limit)
  • You have a valid Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) — undocumented workers with ITINs qualify
  • You lived in California for more than half of 2025
  • Your investment income is $12,200 or less for the year
  • You're not being claimed as a qualifying child of someone else, and not claimed as a dependent (unless you have a qualifying child)

How Much You Can Get (2025)

Maximum CalEITC by number of qualifying children:
Children
Max CalEITC
0
$302
1
$2,016
2
$3,339
3 or more
$3,756
[Source: paycheckcalculatorcalifornia.com / FTB 2025 figures (accessed 2026-05-16)]
The credit phases in as you earn and phases out as you approach $32,900. Most people get less than the maximum — but anything is money you didn't have before.

Companion Credits (Stack On Top of CalEITC)

Young Child Tax Credit (YCTC) — up to $1,189

If you qualify for CalEITC and have at least one child under age 6 as of December 31, 2025, you can claim YCTC for up to $1,189 extra. [Source: caleitc4me.org / FTB (accessed 2026-05-16)]
You can also claim YCTC if you had zero or negative earned income (a net loss up to $35,640) — this is unusual, but if you're self-employed and had a bad year, ask a tax preparer about it.

Foster Youth Tax Credit (FYTC) — up to $1,189 (or $2,378 for couples)

If you're age 18–25, qualified for CalEITC, and were in California's foster care system at age 13 or older, you can claim up to $1,189. If both spouses qualify, the couple can claim up to $2,378. [Source: ftb.ca.gov foster-youth-tax-credit / 2025 booklet (accessed 2026-05-16)]
The credit phases out between $27,425 and $32,901 in earned income.

Stacks With the Federal EITC

CalEITC is on top of the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, not instead of it. A family with 3 kids earning around $20,000–$25,000 could realistically pull in federal EITC + CalEITC + YCTC — potentially several thousand dollars in refundable credits. Always file both a federal return and a California Form 540 to capture both.

How to Claim

  1. File a California return — Form 540, 540 2EZ, or 540NR — even if your income is too low to require filing. If you don't file, you don't get the money.
  1. Attach FTB Form 3514 ("California Earned Income Tax Credit"). This single form calculates CalEITC, YCTC, and FYTC. [Source: ftb.ca.gov/forms/2025/2025-3514.pdf]
  1. If you e-file, your software fills in Form 3514 automatically — just answer the prompts.

Free Ways to File

All of these handle Form 3514 automatically when you answer the income and dependent questions:
  • CalFile — California's own free e-file system (ftb.ca.gov, accepts 2023, 2024, and 2025 returns)
  • Cash App Taxes — free federal + state
  • FreeTaxUSA Free File — free federal + small fee for state, often free if you qualify
  • IRS Free File + CalFile — file federal free with IRS Free File (AGI $89,000 or less), then state with CalFile. (Note: IRS Direct File was discontinued for the 2026 filing season and is no longer available.)
  • VITA / AARP Tax-Aide — free in-person help (see TechEmpower's AARP Tax-Aide resource for the local Grass Valley site)

Common Pitfalls

  • "I didn't make enough to file." That's exactly why you should file. CalEITC is refundable — the state sends you a check even if you owed nothing.
  • Filing only the federal return. Federal EITC is separate from CalEITC. You must file a California 540 to get the state credit.
  • Skipping Form 3514. Tax software handles this, but if you file by paper, the credit is not automatic — you must attach Form 3514.
  • ITIN holders thinking they're locked out. California has allowed ITIN filers to claim CalEITC, YCTC, and FYTC since 2020.
  • Self-employment with no 1099. Cash income (childcare, gig work, day labor) still counts as earned income — keep simple records and report it.
  • Married Filing Separately. Generally disqualifies you from EITC. File jointly if you're married and both have income.
  • Waiting too long. You can claim CalEITC for prior years by amending — going back up to 4 years — but it's much easier to file on time.

Get Help

  • AARP Tax-Aide (Grass Valley) — free tax prep, all ages welcome despite the name. See TechEmpower's directory entry.
  • VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) — call 211 or visit 211connect.org to find your nearest free tax site.
  • FTB phone help: 1-800-852-5711 (general tax questions)
  • CalEITC4Me calculator: caleitc4me.org — estimate your credit before filing
Last verified: 2026-05-30. All 2025 tax-year figures confirmed against the FTB (max CalEITC $3,756, YCTC and FYTC up to $1,189 each, income limit $32,900 or less, ITIN filers qualify). Updated the free-filing list to drop the discontinued IRS Direct File.
Sources: