CSBG-DCL-2022-16 Get Your CTC/EITC Day of Action FY 2022

Today, February 8, 2022, the Office of Community Services (OCS) joins the Biden-Harris Administration, our federal, national, and local partners and stakeholders, and countless agencies across the country in recognizing the Get Your CTC/EITC Day of Action.

The purpose of this Day of Action is to affirm the crucial role that both the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) play in lifting working families out of poverty and creating opportunities for economic mobility. This Day of Action is also an opportunity to ensure that as many families as possible are signing up for these critical resources, especially given all the special provisions that were added this year to increase resources for individuals and families in need, including:

1. A historic number of individuals without children will qualify for the EITC in 2021, and the maximum credit has nearly tripled for these taxpayers.
2. For the first time, the EITC credit is now available to both younger workers and senior citizens.
3. Families can use pre-pandemic income levels to qualify for EITC if it results in a larger credit.

OCS recognizes the critical role CSBG grant recipients and Community Action Agencies (CAAs) play in spreading the word and helping low-income individuals and families successfully access these vital tax credits. For many years, CAAs have stood on the frontlines of this effort and this year, this work is more important than ever before. In additional to operating Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites, we want to remind you of some of the suggestions we provided last year for reaching eligible individuals and families, including:

• Host or join events or Zoom calls at family centers, houses of worship, community centers and other places that families visit. Pitch the events to local media.
• Write or place an op-ed about the importance of the CTC and EITC in your regional or local media outlet.
• Work with faith and community leaders to ensure access to these critical resources for their congregations and/or communities.
• Partner with school districts, education leaders, and childcare centers to share information with parents.
• Raise awareness via social media (post, tweet, or partner with an advocacy organization for an IG Live.)
• Share key information on the CTC and EITC as part of your application intake process for human services programs.

The work that you do this tax season to connect eligible individuals and families to the CTC and EITC will make a tangible difference in the lives of children, families, and individuals across the country, so we encourage grant recipients and CAAs to continue doing this work in innovative ways. We know you have been working diligently to support vulnerable households, especially during the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency, and we want to ensure you that your efforts are making a difference both locally and nationally. We thank you and we appreciate your efforts.

OCS supports the National Community Action Partnership (NCAP) in their commitment to prioritizing innovative outreach and engagement around CTC/EITC programs. We thank them for their leadership in this area and look forward to continuing to partner with them to carry out our anti-poverty efforts.

Together, we will do our part to reach eligible households across the country. We do not want anyone in need to leave money on the table this year.
Thank you for your attention to these matters. OCS looks forward to continuing to provide high-quality services to OCS grantees.