The Earned Income Tax Credit
The EITC is a refundable tax credit for low-income workers. The EITC is available to single adults earning up to $11,230 through four-person families earning as much as $34,780. The credit can be as large as $4,204 and the average EITC for Cuyahoga County in 2002 was $1,763. It is estimated that between 15 and 20 percent of those eligible for this credit do not claim it. When the credit is claimed, the money not only goes to hard-working families but also goes back into the Cuyahoga community.
The Cuyahoga Earned Income Tax Credit Coalition
The Cuyahoga Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Coalition is a group of government, foundation, non-profit, community development agencies, and financial institutions whose goal is to provide and advocate for fair and free tax service for low- and moderate-income workers. The primary mission of the coalition is to help County residents claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), receive quality and free tax preparation, and work toward financial security.
Interested in volunteering? Click here for more information
The Cuyahoga EITC Coalition promotes free and fair tax preparation services for middle- and low-income filers. Many filers are subject to filing fees and refund anticipation loans (RALs) sold to them by private for-profit businesses. These fees and loans are avoidable by using the Coalition’s free tax sites throughout the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County. These sites are quick, efficient, high-quality alternatives to paid preparers. The volunteer preparers are certified annually by the IRS and the sites have convenient hours to meet the demands of working families.
List of VITA sites in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County
The Cuyahoga EITC Coalition also encourages financial independence and savings for middle- and low-income families. This platform of wealth-building is an important step toward home ownership, saving for higher education, and day-to-day living.
Click here for information on wealth-building
Wall Street Journal article on free credit reports
Policy Matters Reports on the Earned Income Tax Credit
Fact File: Getting Ohio’s Families the Credit They Deserve: The Earned Income Tax Credit
EITC Gains, RAL Drains
February 2007
Who Takes Credit? Earned Income Tax Recipients in Cleveland, 2006
September 2006
Credit Where it’s Due: The Earned Income Tax Credit in Ohio
March 2006
Who Takes Credit? Earned Income Tax Recipients in Cleveland
November 2005
Taking Credit: Boosting Participation in the Earned Income Tax Credit in Greater Cleveland
September 2004
An Ohio Earned Income Tax Credit: Costs and Benefits
March 2003
Other EITC links
National Community Tax Coalition