This research examines eligible taxpayers' characteristics and barriers when filing tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service and claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income families. Despite the potential benefits of EITC, the IRS consistently reports that close to 19.2 percent of eligible taxpayers fail to claim it. The study compared tax return filers' and non-filers' characteristics using survey data from 559 EITC-eligible respondents across two waves of Tax Years 2017–2019 and Tax Year 2020. Findings showed significant differences across demographic, health, and psychological factors. Tax return filers exhibited better overall well-being, including better physical and mental health, hope, and life satisfaction than non-filers. Conversely, non-filers consistently reported higher food and housing insecurity, along with higher levels of loneliness and depression. Unexpectedly, non-filers reported higher financial self-efficacy and subjective financial knowledge, suggesting potential overconfidence.

Accepted Poster Presentation