DC Earned Income Tax Credit
What is the DC EITC Campaign?
The DC EITC Campaign is a citywide, cross-sector initiative that educates DC taxpayers, particularly those with low incomes, about issues related to income taxes and economic security. Its goals in 2005-2006 are to:
Through an extensive marketing effort, the campaign informs taxpayers about the Earned Income Tax Credit and how to claim it. Currently, roughly 52,000 DC residents claim the federal EITC, infusing more than $80 million in federal money into the local community. Additionally, more than 44,000 taxpayers claim $22 million in DC EITC dollars. The DC Fiscal Policy Institute estimates that there are still roughly 10,000 EITC-eligible DC residents who may not be claiming the federal or local credit, and an additional 5,000 - 10,000 who claim the federal credit but not the DC EITC.
In addition to the EITC, there are numerous federal and DC tax benefits of which taxpayers may not be aware. Through news articles, community presentations, financial seminars and tax site assistance, campaign members help taxpayers to see that understanding the tax system is an important part of financial management.
The DC EITC Campaign maintains a database of free tax services available in DC. The campaign works with the Internal Revenue Service to promote free tax assistance through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs. Campaign partners also recruit and train more than 250 tax volunteers and manage 15 free tax assistance sites each year.
Claiming tax benefits and refunds is one important step toward increasing income and savings, but our goal is to connect taxpayers with year-round economic support. The DC EITC Campaign continues to build new partnerships with government agencies, nonprofit agencies, financial institutions and local employers to achieve this goal.
