FEB: Earned Income Tax Credit
In these tough times, federal tax credits mean more for working families than ever before. They may not know that they can get help filing their taxes and that they might be eligible for tax credits worth thousands of dollars – even if they did not earn enough in 2009 to owe income tax!
The ARRA (stimulus bill) improved and expanded the number and kinds of federal tax credits which can put real money in people’s pockets. The Earned Income Credit is a refundable tax credit available to working people and families. The Child Tax Credit and the Making Work Pay credit are also newly available. These tax credits have no effect on eligibility for welfare benefits like MediCal, CalWORKS, or food stamps.
Please help deserving WIC households get help filing their taxes from many community-based programs, so that they can take advantage of these resources!
WHAT LOCAL AGENCIES CAN DO:
1. Go to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ comprehensive site for EITC Outreach. You’ll find background info, posters, flyers in every language, fact sheets, and outreach ideas.
2. Ready-to-use flyers are downloadable in 21 languages. In February, distribute them to WIC participants. Let them know that if they were employed in 2009, they may be eligible even if they did not earn enough to pay income taxes!
3. Tell WIC families about FREE tax filing assistance. To find the closest help site, call 1-800-906-9887, OR direct them to online sites:
- Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) volunteers provide FREE Income Tax Preparation Assistance. Click on the website and enter zip code at: http://www.vita-volunteers.org/index.htm or http://www.ftb.ca.gov/individuals/vita/sites.asp
- Nationwide online listing searchable in each state by both county and city: http://extension.missouri.edu/hes/taxed/vitasites.htm
4. Use the connector tool at http://www.weconnect.net/eitc.html to help individuals find out if they may be eligible: http://www.weconnect.net/webconnector.html