How do I take off New Jersey state Earned Income Tax Credit?

First, make sure you actually don't qualify for the New Jersey Earned Income Tax Credit (EIC). 

Generally, the New Jersey Earned Income Credit amount will be 40% of a taxpayer's federal EIC amount.  However, that's not always the case.  A taxpayer can sometimes qualify for state EIC even without getting the federal EIC.

According to Line 58 – New Jersey Earned Income Tax Credit (NJEITC) in the Instructions for Form NJ-1040:

If you were at least 18 years old, you may be eligible for an NJEITC even if you did not meet the age requirement for a federal EIC. The maximum age limit has been eliminated. Did you meet the following requirements during 2024? 

• You did not have a qualifying child; and 

• You were at least 18 years old on the last day of the tax year; and 

• You met all federal EIC requirements except the age requirement; and 

• You are not listed as a dependent on another tax return. If so, enter $253 on line 58. 

If you were a part-year resident, you must prorate $253 by the number of months you were a New Jersey resident.

Compare these qualifications to the federal requirements in the TurboTax Help article What are the qualifications for the Earned Income Credit (EIC or EITC)?. 

If you still don't appear to qualify, feel free to post back, explaining which of the bulleted requirements above that you don't satisfy.