Over the years, the Division has participated in the campaign to inform Alaskan workers about Earned Income Tax Credit. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a federal tax credit that can help many of our clients in their effort to become self-sufficient.
---
One of the goals of the campaign is to ensure that individuals leaving welfare to work know about the EITC, and how to claim it. According to a survey conducted by the Center of Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington, DC, a huge number of former cash assistance recipients who are eligible for the EITC may not be claiming it.
NineStar, UAA - Adult Learning Center and CITC are going to be offering free on-line tax filing classes to interested clients. Representatives from these agencies will begin their training next week and preparing to begin offering the classes to clients.
The on-line tax filing will allow clients to come to class with all their tax information, sit at a computer and be guided as far as what type of information is being asked of them etc., at the end of the class they will be able to hit enter and their taxes will be filed. The goal of the class is to educated clients on the various tax perks that maybe available to them and have them pursue them. It will also give the clients the opportunity to learn a new tool and knowledge.
IRS will again be providing us with VITA sites to help tax filers.
The Division is currently working on the following campaign strategies to help share information about the benefits of EITC:
- building a local EITC network and encouraging more organizations and agencies to participate in the campaign,
- reaching out through schools,
- involving businesses and employers,
- promoting free tax filing assistance or VITA,
- setting up a local EITC information hotline through our Division