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Having a large family is great, but when it comes to vacation time, planning for the whole family presents its own challenges. How many people can you fit in your hotel room? Are your small children accustomed to plane travel? And how about meals? Having one or two children is challenging enough, but if you have more than two, vacation time may make you feel as though you are planning the invasion of Normandy Beach. Here are some tips to make your family vacation plan headache-free.

First: what about your accommodations? When it comes to hotel rooms, it's good to know what the restrictions are for occupancy. Most hotels base their room pricing on what they call "double adult occupancy," which means that the hotel room price you see is based on at least two adults sharing one room. Hotels also generally define a "family" as two adults and two children sharing a room. Which means that if you have more than two children, according to the pricing rules for double occupancy, you will have to pay what's called a "single supplement fee" if you purchase an additional room for your third child, or pay extra, even if you are all staying in one room. Many families have no idea that they are subject to these additional fees until they arrive at the hotel, so make sure you call ahead and let the hotel know how many people will be staying so you can plan your budget accordingly.

Speaking of budgets, in these tough economic times, you may be wondering if you and your family can afford a vacation at all. Search the internet for low cost vacation ideas, or see what is in your area for a cheap vacation package. The good news is, many airlines and hotels are offering special vacation rates, so bargain vacations can be had. You'll just need to compare rates online to find a package that suits your family's needs.

Did you know you can get a federal income tax credit just for working? The Earned Income Tax Credit (or EITC) is a special federal income tax credit that is available to low to moderate income working individuals and families. You may be able to qualify for it if your 2008 adjusted gross income is below $41,646 and you are not married filing separately. How much of a credit you qualify for depends on the number of dependents you claim, but it can be upwards of $4700, and may entitle you to a refund of Social Security and Medicare taxes that you have already paid.

Enacted in 1975, the Earned Income Tax Credit was designed to help offset the burden of social security taxes on lower income individuals and families, and to help provide an incentive to work rather than collect welfare or other social programs. When the EITC is larger than the amount of taxes owed, those who claim the credit are entitled to a tax refund.

To qualify for the EITC, taxpayers must meet certain requirements, such as:

• The claimant must be resident of the United States, and have a social security number (as must all qualifying dependents).
• Claimants without a qualifying child must be between the ages of 25-64.
• Claimants must be single, head of household or married filing jointly (not married filing separately, except in certain special circumstances).
• Claimants must not have investment income over $2900.

In order to qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit, you must also file a tax return, even if you did not earn enough money to be obligated to file. The EITC has no effect on welfare benefits and is not used to determine eligibility for any social service program such as Medicaid, Food Stamps, low income housing, SSI (Supplemental Security Income) or most Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) payments.

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