Our taxes represent our collective investment in our communities, because it is through our taxes that we fund education, health care, fire departments, roads, bridges, open spaces, and all the programs that make our state great.
Even though taxes are important, we know that tax season isn’t something people necessarily love (or, well, even like). The U.S. tax system is complex, and submitting everything correctly and on time can be stressful. And it can be easy to miss out on important tax credits you may qualify for.
To help, we have some tips and updates on some important tax credits, and which are available for immigrant taxpayers.
The federal Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit can put thousands back in your pocket
Even if a person’s income is too low to require filing taxes, federal tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC) can be worth thousands, so it may be beneficial to file a tax return anyway. Parents and caregivers can receive up to $2,200 per child through the CTC and up to $8,046 through the EITC. People without children can receive up to $649 from the EITC.
Unfortunately, the 2025 Congressional Republican mega bill, H.R. 1, made permanent changes to Child Tax Credit eligibility that require at least one parent to have a Social Security Number in order to claim their children and receive the tax credit. Undocumented immigrants in Washington contribute nearly $1 billion in state and local taxes every year, and this exclusive policy will hurt the well-being of more than 137,000 citizen children in mixed-status families.
However, Washington state’s own tax credit, the Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC), is available for people with qualifying income regardless of their citizenship status.
You can claim your Working Families Tax Credit after Tax Day
The WFTC is an annual state tax rebate of up to $1,330 for Washington people and families with low-to-moderate incomes. Approximately 350,000 households are eligible across the state, and last year, around 300,000 households claimed the credit, with an average cash rebate of $722.
To claim the WFTC, people must file federal taxes, live in Washington for at least half the year, and meet the income requirements. Unlike federal taxes, there is no April filing deadline to claim your state tax credit; you have three years to claim it from the year you were eligible.
2025 is the last year to claim your WFTC for 2022
If you missed out on claiming the WFTC in 2022, 2023, or 2024, there is still time! Applications are accepted for up to three years after the year when the taxes were due. This year is the last year to apply for 2022’s WFTC. Go to www.workingfamiliescredit.wa.gov for more information and to claim your WFTC for previous years.
File your taxes for free by going to MyFreeTaxesWa.org
It’s not necessary to dip into savings to pay a private corporation to do your taxes! People who made under $69,000 last year qualify to file their taxes for free through a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site, and those who made under $89,000 can use free online filing software. VITA sites have been found to be more accurate than paid tax preparers. They are regulated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and run by trained volunteers.
You can find free self-filing, virtual, and in-person options to file your taxes across Washington at https://myfreetaxeswa.org.
Immigrants in Washington are eligible for the Working Families Tax Credit
As we noted earlier, people who file their taxes with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), including some people who are undocumented, are eligible for the Working Families Tax Credit! The WFTC is a state program and is not connected to the federal government. The Washington State Department of Revenue (DOR) follows state laws that prohibit state agencies from assisting in federal immigration enforcement, and it is committed to protecting taxpayer information.
What immigrants need to know when filing federal taxes
In April 2025, the IRS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced a data-sharing agreement despite longstanding legal precedent that says that taxpayer information is private. By November 2025, the IRS had shared the names and addresses of 47,000 taxpayers with ICE. Due to a lawsuit brought by Unidos US and Public Citizen, multiple courts have blocked further data sharing between ICE and the IRS.
This doesn’t mean that the risks won’t change in the future. However, there are also penalties and risks for not filing federal taxes. For ITIN holders who filed federal taxes previously, the IRS already has the information you submitted with your federal tax return, so filing again may not offer them any additional information.
A lawyer or tax professional can advise you about specific situations before filing. The Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network Hotline is an excellent resource for questions about how to find support for filing taxes and weighing the risks and benefits.
In addition, the National Immigration Law Center released a series of fact sheets with information to help immigrants understand the risks and benefits of filing taxes.
- 2025 Tax Filing for Immigrants (available in 7 languages)
- FAQ: Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN): A Powerful Tool for Immigrant Taxpayers (available in Spanish)
- Data Privacy and Federal Taxes for Immigrant Taxpayers (available in Spanish)
- New Law Changes Taxes for Immigrants (available in 8 languages)
More tax credits and exemptions are on the horizon in our state
This year, the legislature passed the Millionaires Tax, which will tax people with annual income above $1 million at a rate of 9.9%. With the additional $3.7 billion in revenue each year, this tax will fund:
- A big expansion of the Working Families Tax Credit that broadens eligibility to ensure seniors, young adults, and more people with moderate incomes can qualify
- A sales tax exemption on household items like hygiene products, over-the-counter medicine, and diapers
- A small business tax credit that ensures that any businesses with less than $250,000 in gross receipts won’t pay any Business & Occupation (B&O) tax
When the Millionaires Tax and WFTC expansion go into effect in 2029, the WFTC will be the most comprehensive and inclusive state EITC in the country. The expansion tax will see 460,000 more households will benefit from the WFTC, meaning the tax credit will reach a total of 810,000 households, or over 1 in 5 households in Washington.
