Happy Tax Day!

This post is the ninth in a series of weekly posts containing tax information and filing tips. Check back next week for our next post, or click here to read past posts. 

So today is the deadline for filing your federal tax return (and most state returns). Although many people associate filing their taxes with feelings of confusion, stress, and general misery, tax time can also help give low- and moderate-income families a financial boost through federal tax credits like:

• Earned Income Tax Credit, designed to supplement the wages of low- and moderate-income families (those who earned less than $50,270 in 2012). This credit is worth up to $5,891 and is available as a refund for families who owe little or no income tax.
• Child Tax Credit, designed to help families offset some of the costs of raising children. This credit is worth up to $1,000 per child. Families who owe little or no income tax can receive some or all of this credit as a refund if they earned at least $3,000 in 2012.  
• Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, designed to offset some of the child and dependent care costs that families incur in order to work. This credit is worth up to $2,100, though the amount that can be claimed is limited by the amount a family pays in federal income taxes.

And many states offer their own versions of these credits.

So if you haven’t yet filed your taxes, either get them in the mail or efile them OR send in the form asking for an automatic extension [PDF] by midnight tonight. If you have filed your taxes, congratulations – you’re done for another year. And if you spread the word about tax credits for families to even one other person – thank you for helping families get the tax credits they deserve.

If you or someone you know has benefited from tax credits, please let us know! You can share a tax credit story here.