Making the Earned Income Tax Credit Work for Workers Ages 65 and Older

Maxim Shvedov

Jennifer Schramm, AARP Public Policy Institute

Published March 31, 2020

From its modest start in 1975, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) developed into one of the largest means-tested antipoverty cash assistance programs. Because of its restrictive age ceiling, however, the EITC excludes most workers ages 65 and older. This Insight on the Issues argues that removing the age restriction for older workers should be a key priority in updating the policy for today’s socio-economic environment.

Expanding EITC eligibility to include older workers would be consistent with broader policy goals to improve retirement security and the well-being of low-income workers ages 65+, could help grow the domestic workforce, and would be fiscally responsible and administratively feasible.

Suggested citation:

Shvedov, Maxim, and Jennifer Schramm. Making the Earned Income Tax Credit Work for Workers Ages 65 and Older. Washington, DC: AARP Public Policy Institute, March 30, 2020. https://doi.org/10.26419/ppi.00094.001

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