Connecticut Earned Income Tax Credit
Last updated August 2026
Connecticut offers a refundable state Earned Income Tax Credit worth 40 percent of your federal earned income credit for the 2025 tax year. Because it is refundable, it pays out as a refund even when it is larger than the state tax you owe. You claim it on Schedule CT-EITC, which you file with your Connecticut income tax return.
The math is simple. You take the amount of federal earned income credit you claimed, from federal Form 1040, Line 27a, and multiply it by the 40 percent Connecticut rate. That result is your Connecticut credit.
There is one gate to know. To qualify for the Connecticut credit, you must have claimed the federal earned income credit for the same year. If you did not claim the federal credit, you do not qualify for the Connecticut one, so it pays to check your federal return first.
The children you count are the same ones from your federal return. Qualifying children are the ones you claimed on your federal Schedule EIC, and the Connecticut form carries over the student and disability details from that federal schedule.
The rate is now higher than it used to be. Connecticut's state EITC is 40 percent of the federal credit, up from an older rate of 30.5 percent, which means a bigger refund for working families than in past years.
Because the credit is refundable, it is worth filing even if you owe no tax. If you need help preparing your return, dial 2-1-1 to find a free tax-preparation site near you.
Updated August 2026 Program details can change — confirm with the program directly.
Who qualifies
- You must qualify for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit and file a Connecticut income tax return as a full-year resident
- The Connecticut credit equals 40 percent of your federal EITC and is fully refundable
You may qualify. The program makes the final decision.
What the application looks like
Common questions
How much is the Connecticut EITC?
It equals 40 percent of your federal earned income credit for the 2025 tax year, and it is refundable.
Who qualifies?
You must have claimed the federal earned income credit for the same year and file a Connecticut income tax return. If you did not claim the federal credit, you do not qualify for the Connecticut one.
What does refundable mean?
It means the credit pays out as a refund even when it is larger than the state tax you owe, so it can put money back in your pocket.
How do I claim it?
Use Schedule CT-EITC. Enter your federal earned income credit from Form 1040, Line 27a, and multiply it by the 40 percent rate, then carry the result to your Connecticut return.
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