# Question about the Earned Income Tax Credit

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-earned-income-tax-credit/444765>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 10, 2008, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-earned-income-tax-credit/444765 "2008-04-10T15:10:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Weird\_AL\_Einstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c67d28/32.png) [@Weird\_AL\_Einstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weird_AL_Einstein)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2008, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-earned-income-tax-credit/444765/1 "2008-04-10T15:10:10Z")

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To break this information down as succinctly as possible:

- I am self-employed, filing Form 1040 with Schedule C-EZ

- I have no income listed on line 7 of Form 1040 (Wages, Salaries, Tips, etc), or anywhere else but line 12 (Business Income or Loss)

- Doing the EITC worksheet led me to the dismaying conclusion that I would not qualify for EITC because I could only count income from Line 7, and Schedule C income only if I am either a clergy member or church employee, a “statutory employee” (I’m not), or _not_ required to file Schedule SE (I am).

- What the hell?! I qualified last year!

- I called the IRS toll free number, and after about thirty minutes of waiting, answering scripted questions, more waiting, and some hemming and hawing, I was told that I could go ahead and count my Schedule C income listed on Form 1040 Line 12 when calculating my EITC.

- I am posting here just to get a second opinion, which would make me a lot more comfortable, and I figure that _somebody_ else must have had this problem.

- Yes, I always wait until the last minute to do my taxes. In fact I wait until the last minute to do everything. On my deathbed I plan to finally forsake my agnosticism and convert to a religion, I just haven’t figured out which one yet…