EITC, Child Tax Credit, education credits, and other refundable tax credits explained.
The Earned Income Tax Credit can put up to $7,430 back in your pocket for 2026 — and self-employed workers qualify on Schedule C net profit. Here is how the EITC works, who qualifies, and how freelancers claim a credit the IRS says one in five eligible filers misses.
Read Article →The Child Tax Credit returns to $2,000 per qualifying child for 2026, with up to $1,800 refundable through the Additional Child Tax Credit. Here is how the phase-out works at $200,000 single and $400,000 married, who qualifies as a qualifying child, and how self-employed parents claim it.
Read Article →The Child and Dependent Care Credit covers up to $3,000 of daycare, babysitting, and summer camp expenses for one dependent — $6,000 for two or more. Here is how the 2026 credit works, what expenses qualify, and why self-employed parents need the provider's tax ID to claim it.
Read Article →The American Opportunity Tax Credit offers up to $2,500 per student (40% refundable) for the first four years of college, while the Lifetime Learning Credit offers up to $2,000 per return for any postsecondary education. Here is how to choose between them for 2026 and how self-employed students stack the credits with business deductions.
Read Article →The 30% residential clean energy credit covers solar panels and battery storage in 2026, the EV credit offers up to $7,500 for a new electric vehicle, and the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit covers windows, doors, heat pumps, and insulation. Here is how to stack them and what self-employed homeowners need to document.
Read Article →The Premium Tax Credit subsidizes ACA Marketplace health insurance premiums for self-employed workers with moderate income. Here is how the 2026 subsidy scales with income, how estimated Schedule C profit sets your advance credit, and why reconciling at year-end can trigger a refund or a bill.
Read Article →The Saver's Credit returns 10% to 50% of your retirement contributions — up to $2,000 single or $4,000 married — as a tax credit for low- and moderate-income workers. Here are the 2026 income limits, the credit rate tiers, and how self-employed filers combine the credit with the self-employed health insurance deduction and SE tax planning.
Read Article →Self-employed workers leave thousands on the table every year by missing credits they assume are only for W-2 employees. Here are the five credits freelancers most often overlook for 2026 — Premium Tax Credit, Saver's Credit, EITC, Child and Dependent Care Credit, and Disabled Access Credit — with concrete dollar examples.
Read Article →The Adoption Tax Credit covers up to $17,500 in qualified adoption expenses for 2026 — attorney fees, court costs, travel, and agency fees. Here is how the credit works, how the special needs adoption rule delivers the full credit regardless of expenses, and how the income phase-out affects self-employed adoptive parents.
Read Article →The Foreign Tax Credit prevents U.S. taxpayers from paying tax twice on the same foreign income. Here is how the 2026 credit works for self-employed filers with international clients, when to choose the credit over the foreign earned income exclusion, and how Form 1116 calculates the actual credit.
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