Tax Help

Senator Boxer has some possibly valuable information for those with relatively low incomes:

Dear Friend: Many low-income people earn a tax credit but don’t take it. The Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC, is designed to help qualifying individuals and families with low incomes by reducing the amount they pay in income tax to the federal government. The EITC can amount to as much as $4,300 depending on family size and income amount. But the EITC often goes unclaimed because the rules and qualifications for claiming the credit can be somewhat confusing. To help determine whether you or someone you know may be eligible for the EITC please visit the Internal Revenue Service’s website at www.irs.gov. Here you will find a useful tool called the “EITC Assistant,” which can help determine your eligibility for the EITC and how much you might earn. It is available in English and Spanish, and it is easy to use. Some examples of who might qualify for the credit include individuals who earned $11,490 or less and individuals who head a household with one child and earned less than $30,338. Because there are several qualifying rules for ETIC, it is best to visit the IRS site to see if you might qualify. I encourage everyone who might be eligible to check. I hope this information is helpful to you. Sincerely, Barbara Boxer United States Senator