Aside from my hatred for the IRS, those getting earned income tax credits should be audited for fraud. Because there is a lot of it.
In fact, the earned income tax credit should be eliminated. Everyone should be paying a flat tax. Benefits paid to those in the lower half of the income level is what keeps getting Democrats in power.
IIRC, somewhere around 25-30% of EITC returns are fraudulent. An ex-DIL did that. Claimed both kids lived with her during an entire year when they were living in another state. Had to pay it back and got a minor slap on the wrist.
I did tax returns for a few years. Had people trying to claim all sorts of people as qualifying kids. One friend discovered a woman with 9 kids. She filed for the EITC on three of them (maxing it out) and ‘loaned’ the other 6 out to other families in return for half of the EITC refund.
Very high fraud. Same with the additional child tax credit.