Illinois Earned Income Tax Credit Calculator
Figure basis: Official Illinois Department of RevenueThe Illinois earned income tax credit (EITC) is a state credit for working people with low to moderate income, set as 20% of your federal EITC. This calculator estimates your federal EITC from your earned income, filing status, and number of qualifying children using the IRS 2026 tables, then applies the Illinois rule to give your state credit. The Illinois credit is refundable. Enter your details to see both your estimated federal EITC and your Illinois credit. Figures are an estimate: the IRS computes the federal credit from $50 income bands, so your exact credit may differ by a few dollars. The state percentage is sourced from Illinois Department of Revenue and verified for 2026.
A single filer in Illinois with 2 children earning $25,000 has an estimated federal EITC of $7,082.23 and a Illinois credit of $1,416.45 (20% of the federal credit).
How the Illinois EITC works
The Illinois credit is built on the federal EITC. First the federal credit is found from your earned income, filing status, and qualifying children (it phases in, plateaus at a maximum, then phases out as income rises). Then Illinois applies 20% of your federal EITC. The Illinois credit is refundable, so if it is larger than the state tax you owe, you receive the difference as a refund.
federal EITC = phase-in, plateau, then phase-out per the IRS 2026 tables
Illinois EITC = federal EITC x Illinois percentage
Why Illinois pays where the federal credit stops
Illinois sets its earned income credit at 20% of the federal EITC, the figure this calculator applies, and pays it as a fully refundable amount. That 20% is the final step of a phased increase from an earlier 18%, and it puts Illinois well ahead of Indiana next door, which pays only 10% of the same federal number. A single parent of two earning $25,000 who qualifies for close to the maximum federal credit therefore sees a state credit several hundred dollars larger in Illinois than an identical family would across the state line.
The detail most filers miss is who Illinois lets in. Beginning with tax year 2023, Illinois extended its credit to two groups the federal EITC shuts out: workers aged 18 to 24 and 65 or older who have no qualifying children, and taxpayers who file with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) rather than a Social Security number. If you were told you cannot claim the federal credit, you may still be owed the Illinois one, and this tool only captures that once the details you enter match the state rules.
Because the credit is refundable, it is paid out in full even after your Illinois income tax has already fallen to zero, so read the state figure here as money back rather than only a smaller bill. Confirm the current 20% percentage against the Illinois Department of Revenue before you file, since state rates are a regular target for change.
Illinois EITC: frequently asked questions
How much is the Illinois earned income tax credit?
The Illinois EITC is 20% of your federal EITC. For example, a single filer with 2 children earning $25,000 has an estimated federal EITC of $7,082.23 and a Illinois credit of about $1,416.45. Enter your own details above for your figure.
Is the Illinois EITC refundable?
The Illinois credit is refundable, so if it is larger than the state tax you owe, you receive the difference as a refund.
Do I qualify for the Illinois earned income credit?
Generally, if you qualify for the federal EITC you also qualify for the Illinois credit, which is based on it. You need earned income, a valid Social Security number, and investment income under the federal limit ($12,200 for 2026).
How is the Illinois EITC calculated?
First your federal EITC is computed from your earned income, filing status, and number of qualifying children using the IRS 2026 tables. Then Illinois applies 20% of your federal EITC. This calculator does both steps for you.
Official sources
- Illinois EITC percentage and refundability: Illinois Department of Revenue, as at Jul 15, 2026.
- Federal EITC 2026 parameters: IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, Internal Revenue Service.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 15 July 2026. See our methodology. General information, not tax advice; your exact credit is set on your tax return.