14820

Documents You Need to Send to Claim the Earned Income Credit on the Basis of a Qualifying Child or Children for Tax Year 2026

Agency
IRS
Revision
10-2026
Fillable fields
8
Pages
2
Official source
IRS form page
Checked
October 21, 2026
Fill 14820 online
Page 1 of form 14820

Form 14820: Documents to Send to Claim the EIC on the Basis of a Qualifying Child

Form 14820, Documents You Need to Send to Claim the Earned Income Credit on the Basis of a Qualifying Child or Children for Tax Year 2026, is a two-page IRS list of the documents that support a claim for the Earned Income Credit (EIC) with a qualifying child. Its footer says it was previously identified as Form 886-H-EIC.

The form opens with its main rule: "To get Earned Income Credit (EIC), the child must have lived with you, be related to you and be a certain age." It then has three numbered sections, one for each of those tests, with the documents to send for each, and ends with a checklist of things to review before sending copies.

The top of page 1 has spaces for the taxpayer name, taxpayer identification number and tax year. The form points to IRS.gov/eitc for more on who qualifies. You can fill in the header free in your browser on this page and download the form without an account.

What's on Form 14820

Header and opening lines

Taxpayer name, taxpayer identification number and tax year, the main rule in English and Spanish, and pointers to IRS.gov/espanol and IRS.gov/eitc.

Section 1: lived with you

The form says each child claimed must have lived with the taxpayer for more than half of 2026 in the United States, which includes the 50 states and the District of Columbia, not Puerto Rico or possessions such as Guam.

Section 1: documents and statements

What a document has to show, such as the U.S. address, both names and dates covering more than half of 2026, then school, medical, adoption, placement or court records, or dated statements on letterhead.

Section 2: relationship

A table of relationships, from son or daughter to foster child, with the birth certificates, court papers or agency statements to send for each.

Section 3: age

Three age rows: under age 19, age 19 but under 24 and a full-time student, and any age and permanently and totally disabled, with the documents for each.

Checklist before sending

The closing list of things to check, including that the documents prove all three tests, are for 2026, are translated if not in English, and are not signed by a relative.

How to complete Form 14820

  1. 1

    Fill in the header

    Enter the taxpayer name, taxpayer identification number and tax year at the top of page 1.

  2. 2

    Prove where the child lived

    Pick records or dated letterhead statements that show the taxpayer's U.S. address, both names and dates in 2026. If a P.O. Box is the mailing address, the form asks for a completed Form 1093, P.O. Box Application, stamped by the Post Office.

  3. 3

    Prove the relationship

    Find the child's relationship in section 2. For a son or daughter the form says "Nothing at this time" unless the taxpayer's name is not on the birth certificate or the child was not born in the United States.

  4. 4

    Prove the age

    For a child under age 19 at the end of 2026 and younger than the taxpayer, the form says "Nothing at this time." For a student age 19 but under 24, it asks for school records for any part of five months. For a disabled child, it asks for a letter from a doctor, other health care provider, social service program or government agency.

  5. 5

    Run the checklist

    Before sending, check the items at the end of page 2. The form notes one record can prove more than one test, for example a school record that shows the address and lists the taxpayer as the parent.

  6. 6

    Send copies

    Send copies of the documents. A document not in English is sent as a legally translated document.

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Where it goes and what to watch

Who receives it

The form speaks of "sending copies of your documents to us," meaning the IRS. It prints no mailing address.

All three tests

The form says: "We must have proof for all three: you are related to the child, the child lived with you and the child's age." It adds that without them the EIC can't be claimed with that child, though the taxpayer may still be eligible for the EIC without a qualifying child.

Related signers

The form says the IRS can't accept documents signed by someone related to the taxpayer, for example a sister who provides childcare.

Year of the documents

The checklist says the documents are for 2026 and not the current year.

Spanish version

The form says to visit IRS.gov/espanol for Form 14820 (sp) (10-2026) or call 1-800-829-3676.

Related forms

Who uses Form 14820?

  • Taxpayers claiming the EIC with a child

    The form says the IRS must have proof for all three tests: the child is related to the taxpayer, lived with the taxpayer and is of the right age.

  • Grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles

    Section 2 lists the birth certificates to send for a grandchild, great grandchild, niece, nephew, brother, sister, half-brother or half-sister.

  • Step relatives

    For a stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother, stepsister, step-grandchild or step-great grandchild, the form asks for birth certificates or court papers or marriage licenses.

  • Foster and adoptive parents

    For a child pending adoption, the form asks for a statement on letterhead from an authorized adoption agency. For a foster child, it asks for a placement agency statement or a court document placing the child.

  • Schools, care providers and others who write statements

    Section 1 accepts dated statements on letterhead from a school, childcare provider, health care provider, social service agency, employer, landlord, place of worship and others the form lists.

The form is addressed to a taxpayer who claims the EIC with a qualifying child. The taxpayer sends copies of the listed documents to the IRS.

Official sources and the blank

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Questions about Form 14820

Who receives Form 14820 and the documents?

The IRS. The form refers to sending copies of the documents "to us" and prints no mailing address.

What three things does the form ask to be proved?

That the child lived with the taxpayer for more than half of 2026 in the United States, is related to the taxpayer, and meets the age rule.

Is anything needed for a son or daughter under age 19?

For relationship, the form says "Nothing at this time" for a son or daughter, unless the taxpayer's name is not on the birth certificate or the child was not born in the U.S. For age, a child under 19 at the end of 2026 and younger than the taxpayer needs nothing at this time.

Do temporary absences count as time the child lived at home?

The form says to count time away due to special circumstances, such as illness, college, business, vacation, military service or detention in a juvenile facility, as time the child lived with the taxpayer.

Can a relative who watches the child write the statement?

No. The form says the IRS can't accept documents signed by someone related to the taxpayer, and gives a sister who provides childcare as an example.

Is Form 14820 the same as Form 886-H-EIC?

The footer says Form 14820 was previously identified as Form 886-H-EIC.