Center for Economic Opportunity Makes Work Pay for Area Families
People who work but don’t earn a lot of money may be eligible for the
Earned Income Tax Credit, as well as free help preparing their tax return. Friday, January 29, 2010 marks National EITC
Awareness Day, a nationwide effort to increase public awareness
about EITC and free community tax centers.
IRS estimates that 20 to 25 percent of eligible taxpayers fail to claim the
credit which could put as much as $5,657 into the pockets of a family with
three children, up to $5,028 for a family with two children, a maximum of
$3,043 for a worker with one child, and up to $457 for a family with no
qualifying children. The Earned Income
Tax Credit is the federal government’s largest program benefiting low and
moderate income workers.
“The EITC opens the door to a better future for many families. These dollars can be used to create
flexibility and build savings to support goals such as college education, home
ownership, or capitalization of a small business,” said Terry Johnson, Tax Site
Coordinator for United Way’s Center for Economic Opportunity, “the important
thing is to come over to the Center for Economic Opportunity to see if you
qualify for the credit. Even if you
don’t qualify the money you save in tax preparation fees can still be used to
the advantage of your family.”
Johnson said some individuals and families may qualify for the credit for the
first time because of unemployment or other changes in their financial, marital
or parental status during the past year.
Taxpayers with earnings of or below $43,279 ($48,279 if married filing jointly)
for families with three or more children; $40,295 ($45,295 married filing
jointly) for families with two children, $35,463 ($40,463 married filing
jointly) for families with one child, or $13,440 ($18,440 married filing
jointly) for families with no children should check to see if they qualify.
The Center for Economic Opportunity kicked off its 2010 Community Tax
Preparation Campaign this week and welcomes representatives from media outlets
to visit the site during business hours on Friday, January 29th.
The Center for Economic Opportunity is located at 1102 N. 3rd St. (between Cedar
& Cypress) and is open :
Mondays – Fridays 10 AM – 4 PM ; Thursdays – 4 PM – 8 PM ; Saturdays – 10 AM – 2 PM
Appointments for tax preparation services may be scheduled by dialing 2-1-1