EITC Program Expands
Divisions to Offer Financial Management Workshops
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Helping Families Earn Income Tax Credits
From the Winter 2004 issue of Voice, the quarterly publication of Casey Family Services. To view the entire issue, go to caseyfamilyservices.org.

The tax season began early for Casey Family Services divisions in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, all participants in Earned Income Tax Campaigns supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a refundable tax credit for low-income working families. Although EITC can provide $382 to $4,204 a year, many families don't know that they qualify. Those that do claim the credit often lose much of the return to high tax-preparation fees, "rapid refund" loans and check-cashing operations.

To counter this, the Annie E. Casey Foundation launched a national initiative to educate families about EITC, work with Volunteers for Income Tax Assistance
(VITA) to create local resources to provide free tax preparation, and encourage families to use the EITC to build financial stability.

In January, Maine Division Director Mark Millar was one of seven community leaders who spoke at a press conference to announce that free tax preparation will be available at three locations in the Lewiston/Auburn area. The conference was the culmination of several months of cooperation between the city of Lewiston, the city of Auburn, the Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce and the Tax Coalition. These organizations have been educating people about the earned income tax credit, training volunteers to provide free tax preparation, and organizing locations for the free tax consultations.

At the conference, Millar emphasized the importance of helping families use EITC to become more financially secure." Asset building is an integral part of this campaign," says Millar. "This initiative is all about family economic success. We want to help families to earn it, keep it, and save it."

Along with the considerable benefits to individual families, EITC represent a significant return to the community. For example, in 2000, an estimated $5.5 million went back into the Lewiston-Auburn community through EITC. That same year, about 900 potential EITC recipients did not take advantage of credits worth almost $2 million.

In addition to Maine, Casey Family Services is working on EITC programs in the Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont divisions. This year, the Casey Foundation is working with local organizations on 29 EITC campaigns.