Get extra cash to care for your family in 2024! Did you know that at tax time, you may be eligible for tax credits that can give you money back and boost your income? Don't miss out on the Child Tax Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit, and Food Excise Tax Credit!
These tax credits are not a loan – they are money that the government owes back to you.
File your federal taxes by April 15, and your Hawaiʻi taxes by April 22, 2024, to receive this income boost! You can file after the deadlines without penalty if you don't owe taxes.
Hawaiʻi’s governor and state legislature have doubled the size of the state Earned Income Tax Credit and more than doubled the Food Excise Tax Credit. That’s worth $80 million more per year in tax credits for working families! But you have to file taxes to get the money that’s owed to you!
Get FREE tax help and keep more of your money
File your taxes this year, even if you normally don’t, to claim thousands of dollars through tax credits you’re owed!
Don’t pay to file your taxes. There are multiple FREE options to file a tax return this year:
If you earn less than $66,000
You can use GetYourRefund to have an IRS-certified tax preparer help you file your taxes for free.
- Get the Child Tax Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit, other state tax credits, and federal stimulus payments
- Includes an IRS-certified tax help team and chat support
- Filing years: 2020-2023
- Length of time to file: 2-3 weeks
- You must submit your documents by April 1 in order to meet the federal income tax filing deadline of April 15. You can file after the deadline without penalty if you don't owe taxes
- Required information: Photo of Social Security Card or ITIN paperwork* and official tax documents
If you earn less than $79,000
You can use File Myself to file for free on your own with free chat support.
- Get the Child Tax Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit, and other state tax credits
- Includes chat support
- Filing years: 2023
- Length of time to file: 45 minutes
- Required information: Social Security Number or ITIN* and official tax documents
If you are a service member, family, or a recent veteran
You can use MilTax e-filing to file taxes for free on your own.
- Get the Child Tax Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit, and other state tax credits
- Includes free tax software and one-on-one help from military tax pros
- Backed by the Defense Department
- File federal and up to three state returns
- For service members, eligible family members, survivors and recent veterans up to 365 days from their separation or retirement date
If you need in-person assistance and earn less than $64,000
You can find IRS-certified free tax preparation sites near you at Hawaii Tax Help, Goodwill Hawaii, and AARP Foundation Tax-Aide
- Persons with disabilities, those who don’t speak English well, and senior citizens also qualify to use these free tax services.
Dial 2-1-1 to call Aloha United Way’s 211 Statewide Helpline to find a free tax site near you or to find other support and resources if you are not eligible for the free services.
The IRS will offer face-to-face help – but not tax return preparation – without an appointment at 300 Ala Moana Blvd. in Honolulu on Saturday, April 13, from 9 AM to 4 PM. Normally, IRS tax assistance centers are open weekdays by appointment.
*You will need either a Social Security Number (SSN) or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to file taxes. Click here to learn more about ITINs and how to apply. (Español: Cómo aplicar para un Número de Identificación Personal del Contribuyente, ITIN).
About the Child Tax Credit
The federal Child Tax Credit (CTC) is available for families that worked in 2023:
- The CTC offers up to $2,000 per qualified child
- Children must be 16 years old or younger at the end of 2023.
- Children must have a Social Security Number (SSN) to be claimed for the CTC.
- You and your spouse must have a SSN or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). Click here to learn how to apply for an ITIN.
-
Even if you don't owe income tax, up to $1,600 of the Child Tax Credit is available as a refund to families earning at least $2,500.
About the Earned Income Tax Credit
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is available for working families with children:
- You can get as much as $7,430 from the IRS and $2,972 from the state of Hawaiʻi.
- In 2023, parents could earn up to $63,698 and still qualify for this tax credit
- You, your spouse, and any child you claim must have a valid Social Security Number to receive the EITC.
- You may be eligible for the EITC if you worked at any point during 2023, even if it was part-time, temporary, or gig work.
- Use the EITC assistant to find out how much you could get in the federal EITC. The Hawaii state EITC is worth 40% of the federal EITC.
About the Food Excise Tax Credit
The state Food Excise Tax Credit is available to Hawaii residents:
- You could get as much as $220 per family member.
- In 2023, parents had to earn less than $60,000 (or less than $40,000 if single without children) to qualify for this tax credit.
- Children must have a Social Security Number (SSN) to be claimed.
- You and your spouse must have a SSN or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). Click here to learn how to apply for an ITIN.
It's not too late to claim other credits and payments.
Because of the pandemic, the federal EITC and CTC were expanded and made available to more families. That expansion has ended, BUT here's the good news:
- If you were eligible for the 2021 expanded EITC, the 2021 expanded CTC, or any of the three rounds of stimulus checks and didn't claim them, it's not too late!
- You can file prior year taxes up to 3 years past the original due date - for 2021, this would be April 18, 2025.
- Visit TaxOutreach.org/expanded to learn more.
