Cities, Counties, and Municipal Agencies

Did you know that workers in your community can receive up to $5,891 by claiming EITC, Earned Income Tax Credit, on their 2012 tax returns? Think of the financial boost EITC provides to your local community and the impact that influx of cash brings to your local economy.*

Four out of five people claim and get the EITC they earned but that leaves millions of people who miss boosting their income by claiming EITC. We need to work hard to reach the members of your community who are eligible for EITC but don't file because their income is below the filing requirement and for those new to EITC each year. We find that there's about a one-third turnover each year as people move into or out of EITC.

How Can You Help Get the Word Out?

Inform your residents who have earned income about EITC through both widespread and targeted communications so eligible members of your community get the benefit they earned.

• Our Quick EITC Outreach kit (pdf format) provides easy-to-do ideas to get the word out about EITC and highlights key products to help



• Share video, audio, and print PSAs or public service announcements, YouTube clips; online video and audio clips through community cable TV programs and bulletin boards. Find available products here.
   
• Use on hold messages for telecommunications.



• Connect to residents using easy social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, or through your website. Find available products here.



• Add an EITC widget, banner ad, or badge to your Facebook or website.
   



• Spread the word with written information in your newsletters or mailings.
  
  
  • Print PSAs
  • Fact Sheets
  • Stuffers or Small Flyers
  • Customize a Stuffer or Small Flyer with Your Information 
     
• Hang EITC Posters in public places.
   
• Join in EITC Awareness Day --Increasing EITC awareness is important at all times. But having this one day, where EITC is highlighted through more than one national and local channel, increases the likelihood that your community member hears about it, maybe once, twice, or more. It also increases the chance he or she will make an effort to find out more about EITC.

Workers must have earned income to qualify for EITC

Earned income is taxable income received by working for someone or running one's own business or farm. Find out what is and what is not earned income on irs.gov.

And, find out more about EITC, who's eligible, and who is missing the credit here. 

Link up

        GovernmentLiaison@irs.gov

Reference Material

• *Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program EITC Series  Reports on the Affect of EITC on Local Economies
  
  
  
  • Using EITC to Stimulate Local Economies
  • Commentary, The Importance of the EITC to Urban Economies
  • A Local Ladder for Low-Income Workers: Recent Trends in the Earned Income Tax Credit



• Find out how many claimed EITC in your area last year and the amount of cash brought into the economy on our State-by-State EITC Statistics page. (You can use Brookings Institute EITC interactive database for ZIP code-level tax return information for your community.)



• Search using keyword EITC in the Annie E. Casey Foundation Knowledge Center 



• Center on Budget and Policy Priorities EITC page

 Also see:

Our Targeted Messages-Why Me?  Why should you do this? What's my role as a revenue agency, vendor regulatory and/or licensing agency, communication manager, school, real estate tax or housing authorities or...?