Guest blog: Four Ways that the EITC Makes a Difference for Women and Their Families

In my first year as a social worker, I learned something that has informed my work ever since: refundable tax credits, like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC) are  incredible tools  to reduce poverty and income inequality.  In fact, the EITC is the largest, most effective federal anti-poverty program for the non-elderly.  In 2012, the EITC lifted the incomes of over 4 million women and children above the poverty line.

The Earned Income Tax Credit is critical anti-poverty program

Advocates point to the success of the EITC specifically for women and children

Washington, D.C. – As this year marks the 50^th anniversary of the War on Poverty, national policy and advocacy groups gathered Thursday to discuss the success of the EITC as an effective anti-poverty measure at a congressional briefing. The panel also focused on how the credit benefits women and children, as the growth in women’s employment tends to be in low-wage jobs with few, if any, benefits.

This briefing was in coordination with National EITC Awareness Day, a day designated by the IRS to call attention to the tax credit, and to ensure that people who qualify claim it. The EITC is widely acclaimed as one of the nation’s most effective anti-poverty policies, keeping approximately 6.6 million Americans – about half of them children – out of poverty each year.

Helping Hardworking Americans Improve Financial Stability

In recognition of EITC Awareness Day, Goodwill Industries International stands with our partners as we continue to ensure that all eligible families have the chance to keep more of the money they’ve earned and get the tax credits for which they qualify.
We partner with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to inform filers across the country about their eligibility for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and connect them with free tax assistance. Many of our local Goodwill® agencies are promoting EITC in their communities and operating Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites to provide free tax preparation services to workers and residents who qualify.

Guest blog: How the EITC Helped Me

R. Camille Henry is a junior high school teacher who just finished a master’s program in clinical counseling. She is also the proud mother of a ten-year-old son. She will be speaking at NCTC’s EITC briefing at the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center on January 30th.

The EITC has proven to be quite a beneficial credit to my family. As a young single mother, the EITC has allowed me to continue my educational journey, career aspirations and, most importantly, provide for the needs of my family. I used this supplement as financial support for school and to register my son for camp while I worked a part-time job during the summer months. I was able to finish my associate’s and bachelor’s degrees with the support of this credit and fulfill my dream of becoming a teacher.

NCTC hosts Congressional briefing to highlight the Earned Income Tax Credit

This January 31 is not only the opening day of tax season, but also EITC Awareness Day, when VITA providers, the IRS, elected officials, and NCTC all work to draw attention to this vital tax credit and its successful anti-poverty record.

In honor of EITC Awareness Day, on January 30, NCTC will be hosting a Congressional briefing, in partnership with 15 other national organizations, entitled: “How the EITC Expands Opportunity: A Vital Support for Women and Children.”

New Pilot Program Offers High-Tech Solutions for VITA Field

NCTC released the following news release yesterday to announce our new Virtual VITA pilot program. For more information, please contact Amy Berkowitz, (312) 273.1910, aberkowitz@tax-coalition.org.

National Community Tax Coalition and JPMorgan Chase pilot new program to offer high-tech solutions for VITA field

CHICAGO, IL – The National Community Tax Coalition (NCTC), in partnership with the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, is launching the Virtual Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) pilot program, a new program that uses technology to connect low- and-moderate-income taxpayers with critical tax preparation services free of charge. Over 50 million taxpayers who qualified for VITA were not served in 2013 due to remote location, capacity gaps, and other factors.