Updated at 1:07 p.m., Thursday, February 1, 2007
Free tax help offered today for low-income residents
Advertiser Staff
Free-tax preparation services for low-income people and senior citizens will be spotlighted Thursday as the Aloha United Way and partner organizations observe a day showcasing the benefits of a tax credit available to low- and moderate-income taxpayers.Two sites will open for clients at Alu Like Inc.'s 458 Keawe St. offices and Goodwill Industries' Beretania Store between 4 and 7 p.m. Volunteers will be on hand to help with tax returns and explain the Earned Income Tax Credit, a federal tax credit that can be as much as $4,536 for some families.
Nationally, the Internal Revenue Service has declared Feb. 1 as National Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Day to highlight the credit that some say is the nation's most effective anti-poverty program.
Locally the Aloha United Way's Self-Sufficiency Program has been advocating people claim the credit. It estimates that more than 27,000 people who were eligible to file for the credit last year didn't do so. It said in 2004 the average EITC refund in Hawai'i was about $1,632.
Taxpayers must meet certain requirements to file for the credit, including having earned income during the year. Adjusted gross income for the taxpayers cannot exceed $38,348 for married couples with two or more children or $12,120 for an individual with no children.
