New Jersey Earned Income Tax Credit Calculator

One of the most generous matches, with wider eligibility

New Jersey runs one of the most generous state earned income tax credits in the country at 40% of the federal EITC, and the credit is refundable. The state reached 40% through a series of scheduled increases, moving from 35% to 37% and then to 40%, so an older reference that still shows a lower rate will understate what you are owed.

Just as important as the rate is who qualifies. New Jersey has widened eligibility beyond the standard federal rules, lowering the minimum age for workers without qualifying children so that many filers as young as 18 can claim the state credit even when the federal EITC would exclude them on age grounds. If you were told you were too young for the EITC, it is worth checking the New Jersey credit separately.

The calculator applies the mechanics for you: it finds your federal EITC from earned income, filing status, and qualifying children, then multiplies by 40%. Because the state figure is four tenths of the federal one, New Jersey produces a noticeably larger credit than lower-percentage states for the same household. A single filer with 2 children earning $25,000 will see a federal EITC near the maximum and a New Jersey credit worth hundreds more than a resident of a 10% state would receive. Enter your own earned income, filing status, and children above to see both numbers before you file your NJ-1040.