Maine Division News |
Maine Coalition Kicks Off Statewide Effort to Promote Tax Credits for Working Families
January 12, 2010
Media Contact:
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Senior Communications Manager
Phone: 203.401.6955
Program Contact:
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Phone: 207.772.4110
Every year, Maine residents do not realize they qualify for thousands of dollars of income tax credits, leaving millions of their hard-earned dollars unclaimed. Throughout the state, 25 percent of residents do not apply for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) – leaving up to $5,657 on the table for each qualifying household.
Qualifying households can have their federal and state income taxes prepared for free by IRS-certified volunteer tax preparers at CA$H Maine and AARP Tax-Aide tax sites throughout the state. CA$H Maine, a collaboration of eight statewide coalitions, is comprised of 50 non- and for-profit partners, and AARP Tax-Aide, a program of the AARP Foundation, is the nation’s largest free, volunteer-run tax assistance and preparation service available. These free tax preparation sites help residents avoid high-priced filing fees, Refund Anticipation Loans, and apply for tax credits and rebates of which they might not be aware.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation/Casey Family Services has supported the CA$H Maine Coalitions statewide since 2002.
To take advantage of this free service, residents should:
- Collect tax statements from ALL income received in 2009 (W-2, 1099, 1098, SSA and unemployment).
- Gather Social Security cards for each person claimed on their tax return.
- Dial 2-1-1 (it’s free!) to find a tax site.
- Call the tax site to schedule an appointment: other qualifications may apply (interpreters available upon request).
CA$H Maine and AARP Tax-Aide are working together to help low- and moderate-income Mainers make the most of their money by offering free tax preparation to qualified filers during tax season, and connecting them to financial education resources, including financial education and homebuying workshops, Family Development Accounts (FDAs) and credit counseling. Free income tax preparation sites are a part of the Internal Revenue Service’s national Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs, and are made possible thanks to the efforts of community volunteers. All volunteer tax preparers are certified by the IRS, and follow a strict set of guidelines to maintain the highest level of client confidentiality.
For more information, call 2-1-1 or visit www.211maine.org.
