AFI DCL EITC Awareness Day
Increase Access to EITC and Connect Tax Refunds to Asset Building
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Administration for Children and Families
Office of Community Services
370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20447
/programs/ocs/programs/afi
RE: EITC Awareness Day
January 30, 2015
Dear Colleagues,
The federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is one of the largest IRS public benefits for low-income households. The EITC is a refundable credit for families and individuals that work but earn low wages. It is a powerful work incentive and anti-poverty tool.
January 30, 2015 is EITC Awareness Day
The Office of Community Services (OCS) is encouraging Assets for Independence (AFI) grantees to promote EITC among their service recipients and in their communities because:
- EITC is one of our nation's largest anti-poverty programs.
- EITC lifts more than 6 million people out of poverty each year, half of whom are children.
- EITC helps low to moderate income working individuals and families keep more of the money that they earn.
EITC Awareness Day is the one day the IRS and its partners dedicate to reaching the broadest possible range of potentially-eligible taxpayers, including those that under claim EITC and newly eligible taxpayers. In the 2013 tax year more than 27 million workers claimed some $65 billion in Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) . In 2015 the EITC could be worth as much as $6,143 for some working families .
Again, OCS encourages AFI grantees to share EITC information with the individuals and families you serve. Providing low-income individuals and families with information on free tax preparation and tax credits, such as the EITC, can significantly improve their financial well-being.
To learn about an innovative outreach approach to EITC awareness by the Experiment in Self-Reliance (EISR), a Community Action Agency in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and the United Way of Forsyth County, an Asset for Independence grantee, read the OCS Director’s blog 40th Anniversary of the EITC: A Call for Innovative Outreach . Below are additional information and resources:
EITC and Tax Assistance
• Fast Facts on EITC and Tax Assistance
• VITA Grant Program
• Additional Tax Credits and Information
________/s/____________ __________/s/_______________
Jeannie L. Chaffin Gretchen Lehman
Director Program Manager
Office of Community Services Office of Community Services
IRS Statistic for Tax Returns with EITC
IRS EITC Income Limits, Maximum Credit Amounts and Tax Law Updates
Files
- DOCX eitc_dear_colleague_letter_0.docx (30.27 KB)