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Social Security Number Requirements for the Earned Income Credit: Earned Income Credit (2025 IRS Guide)

This guide covers “Social Security Number Requirements for the Earned Income Credit” within earned income credit. The following material presents the IRS treatment of this topic, including the qualifications, exceptions, and examples in the source section. Read the rules alongside the facts of your own situation before deciding what to report, deduct, or document.

Adapted from Publication 596 (2025), Earned Income Credit (EIC), published by the Internal Revenue Service. This guide retains the source edition’s years, amounts, deadlines, and examples. It is guidance for that edition, not a statement that the same figures apply to every tax year.

Context for these rules

This chapter discusses Rules 1 through 7. You must meet all seven rules to qualify for the EIC. If you don’t meet all seven rules, you can’t get the credit and you don’t need to read the rest of the publication.

If you meet all seven rules in this chapter, then read either chapter 2 or chapter 3 (whichever applies) for more rules you must meet.

Social Security Number Requirements for the Earned Income Credit

To claim the EIC, you (and your spouse if filing a joint return) must have a valid SSN issued by the Social Security Administration (SSA) by the due date of your 2025 return (including extensions).

Your qualifying child must have a valid SSN issued on or before the due date of your return (including extensions) for you to claim a higher EIC amount based on that child. If you have at least one child who meets the conditions to be your qualifying child for purposes of claiming the EIC, but that child doesn’t have a valid SSN issued on or before the due date of your 2025 return (including extensions), you may be eligible to claim a self-only EIC if you are otherwise eligible. For information about how to complete Schedule EIC if your qualifying child or children don’t have valid SSNs issued on or before the due date of your return, see Schedule EIC.

An SSN is valid for the EIC unless it was issued after the due date of your 2025 return (including extensions) or it was issued solely to apply for or receive a federally funded benefit and does not authorize you to work. An example of a federally funded benefit is Medicaid.

.If you, your spouse, or your child has a social security card with “Not valid for employment” printed on it and the immigration status of you, your spouse, or your child has changed so that the individual is now a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, ask the SSA for a social security card without the legend..

U.S. citizen.

If you were a U.S. citizen when you received your SSN, you have a valid SSN.

Valid for work only with INS authorization or DHS authorization.

If your social security card reads “Valid for work only with INS authorization” or “Valid for work only with DHS authorization,” you have a valid SSN, but only if that authorization is still valid.

SSN missing or incorrect.

If an SSN for you or your spouse is missing from your tax return or is incorrect, you may not get the EIC.

If an SSN for you or your spouse is missing from your return because either you or your spouse didn’t have a valid SSN on or before the due date of your 2025 return (including extensions) and you later get a valid SSN, you can’t file an amended return to claim the EIC. However, if you or your spouse were issued an SSN that wasn’t valid for the EIC, but by the due date of your 2025 return (including extensions) you or your spouse became eligible for a social security card without “Not valid for employment” printed on it, you may claim the EIC on an original or amended 2025 return even if the social security card wasn’t updated by the due date of your 2025 return (including extensions).

Other taxpayer identification number.

You can’t get the EIC if, instead of an SSN, you (or your spouse if filing a joint return) have an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN). ITINs are issued by the IRS to noncitizens who can’t get an SSN.

No SSN.

If you don’t have a valid SSN on or before the due date of your 2025 return (including extensions), check the box on line 27c (Form 1040 or 1040-SR). You can’t claim the EIC on either your original or an amended 2025 return.

Getting an SSN.

If you (or your spouse if filing a joint return) don’t have an SSN, you can apply for one by filing Form SS-5 with the SSA. You can get Form SS-5 online at SSA.gov/forms/ss-5.pdf, from your local SSA office, or by calling the SSA at 800-772-1213.

Filing deadline approaching and still no SSN.

If the filing deadline is approaching and you still don’t have an SSN, you can request an automatic 6-month extension of time to file your return. You can get this extension by filing Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. For more information, see the instructions for Form 4868. Instead of filing Form 4868, you can apply for an automatic extension by making an electronic payment by the due date of your return.

Using the guidance

Keep the documents that establish the dates, amounts, and circumstances described above. References to other chapters, forms, worksheets, or earlier and later sections refer to the linked IRS publication. Check the full publication and its updates before relying on a rule for a different tax year or a situation not addressed here.

Sources and further reading

The cited U.S. government text is in the public domain. Source accessed October 28, 2026. Fynoptic has organized this material for educational use and is independent of, and not endorsed by, the IRS.

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