Tax Credits Outreach Resources – Spread the Word

Each year we partner with advocates and community leaders across the country to conduct a public education campaign aimed at informing families about state and federal tax benefits for which they may be eligible. This year, the tax credits available to low- and moderate-income families are more valuable than ever.

With your help, families could receive:

• Up to $5,751 from the federal Earned Income Tax Credit.
• Up to $1,000 per child from the federal Child Tax Credit.
• Up to $2,100 from the federal Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit.

And many states offer their own versions of these credits as well!

These tax credits are available to all eligible families, and there is free tax preparation assistance available to help families fill out their tax returns. You can help make sure that families know about the credits, and how to claim them, so they don’t miss out on thousands of dollars in valuable tax assistance.

Where to start? NWLC’s website has outreach tips and tools, state-specific materials in English and Spanish (some in other languages as well), and a whole host of media-related templates.  You can also check out the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ National EITC Outreach Campaign. Their website, http://eitcoutreach.org, provides all the separate components of our Tax Credit Outreach Kit for download. You can also request a hard copy of the kit, which we will send out at no charge, at this site. This site also has links to an EITC flyer available in 19 other languages besides English and Spanish.

 Now is the perfect time to plan tax credits outreach activities for the end of January, when families receive their tax documents from employers and start thinking about filing their 2011 taxes. Help families get the tax credits they deserve for 2011.