IRS HOLDING EVENTS STATEWIDE TO PROMOTE AWARENESS OF EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Each year the IRS sponsors an Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Awareness Day to remind low income families that they may be eligible to receive as much as $5,600 by simply filing a Federal income tax form. On January 28, 2011, IRS and its partners will be reaching out to families who might otherwise leave this money sitting on the table.



“Four out of five eligible people receive their EITC. Last year, more than 950,000 Ohioans received the credit. The goal, though, is to achieve 100 percent outreach, because EITC is a financial boost for working people hit by hard economic times,” said Jennifer Jenkins, IRS spokesperson for Ohio . “Our most recent data shows that EITC was worth an average of $2144 for each Ohioan who legitimately claimed the credit – that’s over $2 billion coming back to people in our local Ohio communities,” Jenkins said.



People move into and out of EITC eligibility based on changes in their earnings, their parental status or their marital status. Many people will qualify for the first time this year due to economic changes in their incomes.



People who earned $48,362 or less from wages, self-employment or farming in 2010 should check to see if they qualify. It’s easy to verify if you qualify. Go to www.IRS.gov and type “EITC” into the search box. On the EITC Home Page you will find a wizard that will allow you to verify whether you are qualified by answering a few simple questions.



Eligible workers can get their EITC only if they file federal income tax returns – even if they are not otherwise required to file – and specifically claim the credit. Taxpayers have several choices for free help claiming the credit. Many communities have volunteer income tax assistance sites. To locate a site, call your community’s 211 or 311 number for local services or call the IRS at 1-800-906-9887. Help also is available at IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers. Locations are online at www.IRS.gov.



On Saturday, January 29, 2011, IRS will hold EITC Saturday and open selected offices to provide special assistance. In addition, a number of community partners will also open their doors to assist taxpayers who want to claim the ...