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Earn It! Keep it! Save it!
Earn It! Keep It! Save It! Bay Area is a United Way-led coalition that provides low-income families with free tax return preparation, assistance with filing tax credit claims, and asset building information. The program supports our goal of helping low-income families become self-sufficient and save money for their future and exemplifies the innovative investments and partnerships we support through United Way's Bay Area Community Fund. The Challenge One in four Bay Area families is stretched beyond its financial limits, forced to choose between essentials like putting food on the table or paying the rent. Although they work as hard as anyone, these families are often just one paycheck, one accident, or one medical emergency away from financial ruin. In addition, over $75 million in federal tax credits goes unclaimed by the Bay Area's working poor each year because they are unaware of the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, which refunds up to $4,300 to low-income working individuals and their families. These substantial tax credits can be the first step in helping families meet their every day needs, as well as save toward assets such as higher education, a first home or a new business. The Solution United Way created Earn It! Keep It! Save It! to galvanize our community's collective resources and reach thousands of workers who may be unaware of their eligibility for these significant tax refunds. The program is part of a national movement working to leverage the full potential of federal and local income tax credits to make work pay for low-income families and communities.
What is the EITC? Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a federal income tax credit that
brings more people out of poverty than any other federal program , including
welfare. The EITC provides cash refunds of up to $5,657 to low and moderate
income working families and individuals.
What can I do to help?
A: Volunteers are critical to the success of these sites. Volunteers do
not need accounting experience to participate in the program. Not all
volunteer positions involve tax preparation. Please check out our Volunteer
Descriptions for a complete list of positions, skills, and requirements.
This year, Solano County will open five new tax preparation sites where
volunteers will provide free aid to low and moderate income families.
What is a Volunteer Income Tax Clinic and VITA site? A Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site is the location that
the client's taxes are prepared. VITA sites are unique in that they are
generally staffed 100% by volunteers. Each site is recognized as an official
IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA site, eliminating all liability
for volunteers.
Who receives the services? Solano County families that do not itemize with an income not
exceeding $52,000.
What impact will I have as a VITA volunteer? One hour of your volunteer time can put up to $4,000 into the
pockets of a hard-working low-income family -- a direct way to help families
buy winter coats, kids' shoes, pay fuels bills, and even save for
homeownership.
How much time do I have to volunteer? You are requested to sign up to volunteer in one of the VITA sites a
minimum of 20 hours during the tax season. We have clinics in the evening,
weekends and day time hours.
Additional Resources
Internal Revenue
Service (IRS) -
www.irs.gov
State of
California - www.ca.gov
United Way of the Bay Area -
www.uwba.org/our-work/earn-it-keep-it-save-it/
Sacramento Bee article:
Personal Finance: Child's summer day camp may qualify
parents for tax credit
Follow the
Bay Area EKS
on Twitter!
For more
information, visit
www.EarnItKeepItSaveIt.org or email
keepit@childnet.org
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