EITC News Archives

March 25, 2008 - The Internal Revenue Service and scores of its partners nationwide will open hundreds of locations on Super Saturday, March 29, in an effort to reach those Americans who are eligible for the economic stimulus payment but who normally are not required to file an income tax return.

The IRS has listed sites in Virginia for March 29th assistance with ESP (Economic Stimulus Payments).

» View Sites in Virginia

March 21, 2008 - From the Ferrum College Newsletter: For Ferrum College accounting students, the past few months have been extremely busy. A team of students, led by Associate Professor of Accounting, Dave Sulzen, has been crunching the numbers to complete tax returns for low-income people in Franklin County. It’s all part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. This is an official IRS sponsored program, providing students with all of the training materials, 3 computers, a printer, and guidance. In return, they provide the manpower. The program is intended to help low-income individuals in the community to get their refunds, and maybe even an earned-income credit.

This is the seventh year students have been working with this program. When they first started, they only did 36 returns. However, last year they did over 150, and are expecting to top that this year.

» View Ferrum College Newsletter

March 11, 2008 - From the Martinsville Bulletin: "Local VITA Tax Aid Sites Draw Crowds" - People seeking to fill out the tax forms to get their federal economic stimulus checks are flooding the VITA free tax assistance sites.  About 600 people have gone to the sites to do this, even though it takes five minutes to fill out the 1040A forms and they are available around the community and online, according to Alicia Solomon, coordinator of the HOPE initiative, which operates the three local Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites.

The 600 are in addition to the 264 federal tax returns prepared through February, Solomon said. Those returns refunded $275,344 back to clients; the average refund is $1,122.  By comparison, last year, the HOPE Initiative completed 104 free income tax returns, resulting in $93,035 in refunds.

The VITA sites were established before Congress approved the stimulus program in…

» Read More

March 10, 2008 - From the Fauquier Times-Democrat: "Volunteers Again Offer Tax-preparation Help" - For the second straight year, the Fauquier County Community Action Committee (FCCA) is serving as an IRS-sponsored "Volunteer Income Tax Assistance" (VITA) site, offering free tax preparation for county taxpayers earning $39,000 or less a year.

FCCA has been running the clinic at its office at 50 Sullivan St. in Warrenton since Feb. 5, and will continue doing so through the tax deadline on April 15. The clinic is open every Tuesday and Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a..m to noon.

This year, FCAA is not only offering the free tax preparation service…

» Read More

March 10, 2008 - From the Martinsville Bulletin: "HOPE's Tax Assistance Adds Site" - The HOPE Initiative, a communitywide effort led by the United Way of Henry County & Martinsville, has expanded its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program with a tax site at the Liberty Fair Mall. The expansion was made possible through a grant from The Harvest Foundation.

"The VITA program is an essential part of the HOPE Initiative's focus," HOPE Coordinator Alicia Solomon said in a news release. "Through the work of volunteer income tax preparers who are IRS trained, we are able to help families and individuals with incomes of $40,000 or less keep more money in their pockets."

Through the VITA program, individuals and families can get their taxes prepared for free. VITA also works to promote the Earned Income Tax Credit for working families and discourage Refund Anticipation Loans, which reduce the amount of the return that people receive.

All VITA returns are electronically filed so that refunds are received...

» Read More

March 7, 2008 - The National Women’s Law Center is hosting a free webinar, "Economic Stimulus Payments: What Families Need to Know", to give service providers and advocates the information they need on the economic stimulus payments. The webinar will be held on Thursday, March 20, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. eastern time.

Register today! This online workshop is free to participants, but registration is required.

» Register Now or Get More Details

March 5, 2008 - Many low-income people are eligible to receive a $300 to $600 economic stimulus payment –– commonly referred to as a rebate –– from the federal government this year.

To get this payment, low-income individuals must file a simple 2007 federal income tax return showing at least $3,000 in qualifying income. If the IRS does not receive this tax return, no economic stimulus payment can be made.

» Read More

March 5, 2008 - This Guide brings you the newest information available from the IRS about the Stimulus payments that are scheduled to begin in May 2008.

» Read More

February 27, 2008 - The IRS estimates that there are approximately 23.5 million taxpayers that may need to file a return that would not otherwise be required to file. The IRS will be mailing notices to these potential Stimulus Filers during the month of March.

There is a plan date of April 1st to begin accepting the Stimulus Returns electronically, provided that IRS can figure a non-invasive method to accept them. This means that as of now, there is NO acceptable method for electronically filing these returns. TaxWise will continue to display a diagnostic error for returns that fall into this category. There is no reason to flood the IRS with returns that are going to get IRS Rejected.

We have seen some customers add a $ amount to Taxable Interest of Line 21 to force the return to pass diagnostics. We strongly encourage you to advise your offices to NOT do this. At this point, we do not know if this will help or hurt the taxpayer. The IRS does not currently have any way of identifying the return as being filed solely for the purpose of receiving a stimulus check.

The IRS will be communicating regularly with the software developers in an effort to find the best and most efficient way to service this group of taxpayers. If you have to a taxpayer that cannot wait, your only course of action is to follow the IRS guidelines currently posted on IRS.gov and do a “paper” 1040A return with the words Stimulus written across the top of it.

Returns electronically filed with a bank product or with a Split Refund (Form 8888) will not be eligible for Direct Deposit. They will receive a paper check mailed to the address that was on the Main Info at the time the return was electronically filed.

The first wave of direct deposits will be released beginning the week of May 2nd. The IRS will be posting a release schedule of these payments. It will be based on the last four digits of a recipients SSN.

February 26, 2008 - Economic Stimulus payment flyers for SSA and VA recipients, in English and in Spanish, are now available for download. The Economic Stimulus Flyers are low resolution versions - designed for quick download, reading on-line, and making a few copies.

» Download the Flyers

February 26, 2008 - Pursuit of the Dream: Cars & Jobs in America, produced by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, explains the importance of affordable, reliable transportation for building the economic success of low-income families.

Featuring the stories of three real-life families who struggled with the common pitfalls that low-wage workers often face when purchasing a car, the documentary shows how they overcame these obstacles and provides tips to avoid them. The documentary is provided in both English and Spanish, and a printed discussion guide is enclosed in each DVD package.

» View the Documentary and Learn More

February 22, 2008 - Carolyn P. Spohrer, EITC Project Manager for VACAP, has some advice to assist coalition partners with regards to the Economic Stimulus Package.

At present, the IRS is not able to accept STIMULUS only returns from TaxWise online....

» Read More | » View Sample 1040a Used for Stimulus

February 22, 2008 - Now through March 14, 2008, the Center for Financial Services Innovation (CFSI) is accepting proposals for its Nonprofit Opportunities Fund. CFSI seeks to support 4-6 pioneering, nonprofit organizations providing innovative financial services and asset-development opportunities that move underbanked consumers towards financial prosperity. Funded through a grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation, the grants will be the largest in both size and scope ever awarded by CFSI—a total of $1.25 million. The average grant size will be $200,000-$300,000. Please visit www.cfsinnovation.com to download the Request for Proposals and to learn more about our grant priorities.

» Learn More

February 21, 2008 - Hamburger Helper, a General Mills company, has announced the call for entries to the 2008 "My Hometown Helper" grant program, a nationwide initiative designed to lend a "helping hand" to local groups making a difference in their community.

People looking to improve their hometown — from helping to fund a volunteer fire department, to restoring a town landmark, to supporting a local school — are encouraged to submit entries. Last year, the program gave away more than $200,000 in total grants and helped communities purchase new band equipment, build a school playground, and fund a tornado warning system, among other projects.

» Learn More

February 20, 2008 - The IRS has released information on the Economic Stimulus Package Tax Rebates. The information is available online at the IRS Website. Links on this page include the FS-2008-16, Stimulus Payments: Instructions for Low-Income Workers and Recipients of Social Security and Certain Veterans' Benefits and FS-2008-15, Facts about the 2008 Stimulus Payments.

Starting in May, the Treasury will begin sending economic stimulus payments to more than 130 million individuals. The stimulus payments will go out through the late spring and summer.

The vast majority of Americans who qualify for the payment will not have to do anything other than file their 2007 individual income tax return to receive their payment this year. The IRS will use information on the tax return to determine eligibility and calculate the amount of the stimulus payments.

» Learn More

February 15, 2008 - TaxWise’s VITA/TCE software contract is coming to an end in 2010, and the National Community Tax Coalition has an opportunity to weigh in on the development of the new procurement contract for tax preparation software for the VITA/TCE community. Some things to consider include functionality, user friendliness, features that may improve quality, data points that you have not been able to retrieve for reporting purposes (i.e. multiple W2s – employer information; refund splitting data), reports, and more. To be part of this process we need to submit comments to the IRS no later than Thursday, February 21st, which will provide the IRS time to review and consider comments for their meeting on February 27, 2008. As always we have a short turn around time, but we are trying our best to obtain as much feedback as possible from the field.

In light of this, we will be holding a national conference call on Monday, February 18, 2008 from 3:00 – 4:00 (Eastern) to discuss the VITA/TCE software and what we would like it to include. We hope that many of you will join the call. If you plan to join us on the call, please register. You will receive the conference call number on the registration screen.

» Register for Conference Call

February 06, 2008 - Maureen Goode, Chair of the Board of the Greater Richmond Earned Income Tax Credit Coalition, has drafted a letter to support budget item #344 to provide additional funding to Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) coalitions throughout the Commonwealth.

» View GREITC Budget Support Letter

February 05, 2008 - CFSI is now accepting proposals from pioneering, nonprofit organizations to provide innovative financial services and asset-development opportunities to underbanked consumers. The Nonprofit Opportunities Fund is supported by a grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation, and in 2008, CFSI will select 4-6 innovative nonprofits to receive grants totaling $1.25 million. Only organizations with 501(c)3 status are eligible for funding. To apply, please download the request for proposals which details CFSI’s funding priorities, criteria, timeline, and process. All proposals are due on Friday, March 14, 2008 at 11:59PM CST

» Learn More or Download the Request for Proposal

November 28, 2007 - VACAP is pleased to present the 2007 EITC Initiative Report to the Virginia General Assembly. It outlines many activities and highlights grantee programs during the past tax filing season and includes plans for the upcoming season.

» View 2007 EITC Initiative Report to the Virginia General Assembly
» Download the 2007 EITC Initiative Report to the Virginia General Assembly (PDF-1MB)

November 15, 2007 - Please join the HOPE Initiative (a VACAP EITC grantee) for an amazing workshop! This workshop is being offered to non-profit, education, and government leaders and staff who want to understand how and why individuals jeopardize and sabotage their financial security. By understanding the problem, participants will have an easier time helping others help themselves (participants will also learn a thing or two for their own lives)!

The Workshop will be held on Thursday, November 29, 2007 from 8 AM to 1 PM. Interested participants are requested to RSVP by November 23, 2007. The cost is only $5.00 and a light breakfast and lunch will be provided. For more information or location, please contact the Hope Initiative by phone at 276.638.3946 or by e-mail at HOPEInitiative@comcast.net.

» View Workshop Announcement

November 15, 2007 - Mark your calendars! The IRS has announced that EITC Awareness Day for the upcoming filing season will be Thursday, January 31, 2008.

October 31, 2007 - VACAP is pleased to announce the 2007-2008 EITC grant award recipients. A total of $230,000 was awarded to 24 different coalitions that will be providing free tax preparation services during the 2007 tax filing season. Financial education classes and other asset building opportunities will be presented to customers seeking assistance. We are looking forward to a successful season. Congratulations!

» View Grant Award Map | » View Grant Award Listing

October 27, 2007 - Three flyers related to Free Tax Preparation and EITC have been released for download. Each download contains one color flyer and one black & white flyer.

• Go Ahead Take the Money (pdf file)- EITC promotional flyer
• FREE Tax Preparation Help (pdf file)- free tax preparation services flyer
• Join the 1040 Team (pdf file)- Volunteer recruiting flyer

Each flyer can also be customized with your logo and contact information. If you need assistance with customizing the flyers please contact Carolyn Spohrer, VACAP EITC Project Manager.

October 27, 2007 - The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) and the Coalition on Human Needs are hosting a series of free webinars on tax credits for working families. By participating in the webinars, advocates and service providers will learn about tax credits that can help families put money in their pockets, easy ways to include tax credits outreach in their current work, and how to help families find free tax preparation services.

There are two webinars remaining:

• Part II — Tax Credits Outreach: Tips and Tools for Service Providers and Advocates
  Tuesday, October 30th at 1:00 p.m. EDT (1 hour)
• Part III — Free Tax Preparation: Helping Families Get the Credit They Deserve
  Tuesday November 13th at 1 p.m. EDT (1 hour)

The NWLC has an outreach toolkit which covers the new tax filing season. The toolkit contains statistics, outreach ideas, working with the media ideas, and campaign timeline. This toolkit can be very helpful.

» Register Online For Webinars | » View Outreach Toolkit

October 26, 2007 - The Carsey Institute, using Brookings/IRS data, has released a report in support of EITC Programs in rural communities. The report, "EITC is Vital for Working-Poor Families in Rural America", notes that "The EITC is especially important to rural families throughout the United States. Among poor and near-poor families, those in rural areas are more likely to be working, and they are more likely to be working in low-wage jobs."

» Read Report | » Learn More About The Carsey Institute

October 19, 2007 - There are many ways to assist your free tax preparation customers with improving their financial fitness. Here is one from the Virginia Society of CPAs: The Financial Fitness University. The web site includes many ideas and publications.

As part of the Financial Fitness University program, the VSCPA has prepared speeches and PowerPoint slides. Topics focus on eliminating credit card debt, contributing to a 401(k) plan, preventing identity theft, using your tax refund wisely and more. Additional materials include articles for employee newsletters or intranets, paycheck inserts, flyers for bulletin boards and table tents for break rooms.

To access these materials, visit the VSCPA’s consumer Web site at www.FinancialFitness.org/university. Please feel free to copy and distribute these materials as many times as you like — there are no copyright restrictions.

» Visit the VSCPA Financial Fitness University

October 19, 2007 - If you missed the October 11 EITC/VIDA conference call and would like to catch up on the news and listen to all (or parts) you can dial the conference playback line. To access the EITC/VIDA conference playback please dial 804-497-3948 and use reference number 189427 then press #.

You may also view the VIDA Program PowerPoint presentation from the EITC/VIDA conference call.

» View VIDA Powerpoint Presentation

October 9, 2007 - As we continue our “Making Connections” and partnering with our VIDA intermediaries, please plan to participate in the second annual EITC and VIDA conference call. The call will take place on Thursday, October 11 at 2:00, and will last about an hour.

Dialing instructions for the call:

• Dial 804-497-3932.
• Enter the pass code 9097 followed by the # sign.

If you experience technical difficulty during the call, you can press *0 and an operator will be happy to assist you.

September 27, 2007 -

• The Dark Side of Debit
• Financial Football
• Church Bulletin
• Volunteers

» Read Newsletter

September 20, 2007 - Two resources, an EITC Resource Listing and an EITC Resource Manual, were presented yesterday in the Assets for Independence conference call on EITC. Do not forget to register for Part II of the conference call being held next Wednesday. Part II of the conference call will discuss the linking the IDA program with EITC and free tax preparation.

If you missed Part I of the conference call, you may listen to a replay of it by dialing 1-866-480-3543.

» Register for Conference Call | » View EITC Resource Listing | » View EITC Resource Manual

September 13, 2007 - Did you miss the September 11, 2007 EITC Seminar. Then please visit the 2007 EITC Seminar deatil page to review featured presentations, watch Commissioner Conyers video greeting, or see pictures from the seminar.

» View 2007 EITC Seminar Details

September 13, 2007 - The AFI Resource Center is pleased to announce a special two-part conference call series on Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) outreach.

• Part I – EITC Overview (Wednesday, September 19) — listeners will learn about EITC and other tax credits available for low-income individuals and families. Listeners will also learn about resources available for agencies interested in becoming involved in local/regional EITC asset building campaigns.
• Part II – Planning Your Local EITC Participation? (Wednesday, September 26) — listeners will learn about the impact of EITC on Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) and will be provided information on best practices, resources, and a network of agencies working to couple programs to promote a move out of poverty, savings, and wealth building.

Expert speakers will provide insight on strategies for joining local EITC campaigns and incorporating EITC as a resource for AFI program participants and other clients ¿ to enable them to increase their IDA savings. The calls will also feature grantees who are leading local campaigns to ensure all eligible individuals and families access their EITC and use their refunds wisely.

Please join us for this special series on Wednesday, September 19th, and Wednesday, September 26th. Both calls will run from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Eastern.

The call-in number is the same for both: 1-888-390-4470; Passcode: AFI.

Registration for this event is required.

» Register for Conference Calls

August 27, 2007 - The spotlight today is on the VIDA program and one new homeowner's success story. Constance Battle participated in the Virginia Individual Development Account program through the Department of Housing and Community Development. Read her story,“Finally, A Home Of Her Own - Moving In, Moving On Up” which was written by Will Jones and published in Saturday's Richmond Times Dispatch. Visit the VIDA page to learn more about matched savings opportunities from VIDA.

» View News Article
» Learn More About VIDA

August 20, 2007 - Alicia Solomon, the EITC Coordinator for the United Way HOPE Initiative in Martinsville talks about financial matters this week in the Martinsville Bulletin. The first news article is titled Financial Fundamentals for Freshman. The other news article is titled Dress up your way of Life with Good Money Management. Congratulations to Alicia.

» View Article 1 - Financial Fundamentals For Freshman
» View Article 2 - Dress up You Life With Good Money Management

August 8, 2007 - Overnight hotel room accommodations for the EITC Seminar are available at The Crown Plaza Downtown at a discounted rate of $102.00 per night per room plus all taxes. To receive the discounted rate, all guest must mention "VACAP EITC Seminar" at the time of reservation. The hotel may be contacted directly at 804.788.0900

August 7, 2007 - EITC partners can now watch a webcast of sessions from the recent 'EITC and Beyond Summit', which took place in San Francisco on July 11-13. Co-sponsored by United Way of America and the National League of Cities Institute for Youth Education and Families, the Summit brought together more than 350 city officials, United Way leaders, and corporate and community partners to strengthen national and local partnerships to help families achieve financial stability. The event highlighted innovative efforts by cities and United Ways to help low-income residents claim the EITC, access mainstream financial services, build savings and assets, and avoid predatory lenders.

This fall, the YEF Institute plans to host an audio conference on Sept. 20 on partnering with United Ways and a Nov. 15 audio conference on helping families build assets.

» View Webcast | » Read the Full Story (1MB PDF)
» View the YEF Institute's EITC Toolkit for Municipal Leaders

July 31, 2007 - Though most do not recognize it as an "urban" program, the Earned Income Tax Credit provides significant benefits to families in cities and suburbs and stimulates local economic activity. In this presentation to Congressional staff organized by Living Cities, Alan Berube examines what members can do to maximize the benefits of the EITC for lower-income families and communities in their districts.

Alan Berube is the Research Director for the Metropolitan Policy Program of The Brookings Institution.

» View Presentation (PDF - 1.15MB) | Download Adobe PDF Reader

July 31, 2007 - The most recent highlights for the tax year 2006 (filing season January- April 2007) have been added to the website. When compared to the past highlights, it is easy to see how the VACAP EITC Initiative continues to grow and provide valuable income back to the community.
» View the Highlights

July 30, 2007 - The Internal Revenue Service will simplify the signature process for electronically filed individual income tax returns submitted by tax practitioners. The simplification eliminates the need for a paper signature document to be sent to the IRS in support of electronically filed tax returns.

Practitioner PINs require the use of Form 8879, IRS e-file Signature Authorization, which is retained by the ERO.

» Read More | » Download FORM 8879

July 20, 2007 - Points of Light Foundation in partnership with the Volunteer Center National Network and sponsored by Capital One has issued a new funding opportunity. The new grant announcement, “Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Asset Building Initiative”, is intended for 5-7 new Volunteer Centers. A Letter of Support from SPEC Territory Managers will be required to be submitted by all applicants. The Deadline for submitting the RFP is August 3, 2007. Submission instructions are included in the application and must be followed.
» Download Application

July 16, 2007 - The Virginia Community Action Partnership is planning a day of learning and sharing! The annual EITC Seminar will be held on September 11, 2007 at the Crowne Plaza Downtown, Richmond, VA. Registration will be $30.00 and will include the seminar, lunch and parking. Overnight accommodations can be made by contacting the Crowne Plaza Downtown at 804.788.0900. The EITC Seminar agenda and registration are currently not available, but will be released soon.
» Read The SAVE THE DATE Announcement (PDF)

July 16, 2007 - For those who would like to use Free IRS equipment, the IRS SPEC Office announced that it is once again time to begin placing orders for laptops and other equipment (printers and etc). The deadlines for placing orders for delivery in specified months are below:

Equipment shipments for:	Response Due:
August (6, 13, 20, 27)	10:00 a.m. July 20, 2007
September (3,10,17, 24)	10:00 a.m. August 1, 2007
October (1, 8, 15, 22, 29)	10:00 a.m. September 1, 2007
November (5, 12, 19, 26)	10:00 a.m. October 1, 2007
December (3, 10, 17, 24, 31)	10:00 a.m. November 1, 2007
January (7)	10:00 a.m. December 1, 2007

This means, for example, that if you wished to receive your IRS laptops at some point in October, than your order must be placed into the system by September 1 (10 AM no less!)http://www.vaeitc.orghttp://www.vaeitc.org
» Read More

July 16, 2007 - How much are your volunteers worth? Priceless, of course! The Virginia Employment Commission announced that the 2006 Virginia average hourly value of volunteer time is $18.76/hr. Total EITC volunteer hours during the tax season was 25,159, for a total value of over $471,000.
» Read VEC Announcement

June 29, 2007 - The Virginia Department of Social Services is accepting Virginia Community Corps Site Applications for the FY2007-2008 Program Year beginning October 1, 2007 and ending September 30, 2008. Virginia Community Corps (VCC) places AmeriCorps members in local departments of social services and community action agencies.

The purpose of VCC is to support low-income Virginians in moving from poverty to self-sufficiency, to expand the number and effectiveness of volunteers, to assist communities in being better prepared to receive ex-offenders, to assist communities in responding to natural disasters and emergencies, to strengthen families and to offer civic engagement opportunities to its members.
» Learn More