Jan 29, 2009

For the 5th consecutive year, Westchester County is providing low- and moderate-income residents with tax preparation services, designed to make sure people get tax credits they are entitled to.

The focus of the effort is the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a tax credit for low- and moderate-income people. County Executive Andy Spano will be joined at a news conference by representatives of the IRS and volunteer tax preparers at the County’s One Stop Employment Center, 120 Bloomingdale Road, White Plains. See if you qualify for EITC.

“In this time of economic uncertainly, it is more important than ever that people get the money they are entitled to,” said Spano. “Last year, we helped 4,870 residents get income tax refunds of more than $4 million. I hope we can do even better this year and urge people to call 2-1-1 and find out if they qualify.”

The One-Stop is one of seven where the county will provide free assistance in filling out the tax forms. In addition to two sites in White Plains, the other sites are in Yonkers, Mount Vernon, Port Chester, Ossining and Peekskill.

Taxpayers with household income below $42,000 are eligible for this free service. The service will be available until April 15.

People should call United Way’s 2-1-1 for exact locations and business hours. While appointments are recommended -- so a person knows what information to bring -- walk-ins are acceptable. The hours of operation at each location will vary to accommodate the needs of targeted populations and include daytime hours as well as evenings and some weekends.

The EITC can supplement the wages of low-income earners by reducing taxes for those who qualify. Eligible people can receive a credit of up to $6,512 on their 2008 tax return. EITC and other tax credits are available to people based on their household income, filing status and household size. In addition to EITC, there are other tax credits available to families, such as the Child Tax credit, Education Credits, and Dependent Child Care Credits. The amount a family gets varies on filing status, the number of children in the household and earnings. (See chart at the end of this release.) 

The county is using various means to get the word out to people who might qualify for the program. This includes brochures, bus posters and  public service announcements. Further information is also available at www.westchestergov.com/eitc.

This initiative is a collaborative effort of the following county departments and community organizations: Office of the County Executive; the departments of Social Services, Consumer Protection, and Senior Programs and Services; Educational Opportunity Center of Westchester, Westchester Chapter of the AARP, Interfaith Council for Action, The College of Westchester ,Westcop, Community Capital Resources, Westchester Community College, The Volunteer Center United Way and 2-1-1 Hudson Valley Region, Business Council of Westchester and the Westchester Hispanic Coalition have played a significant role in getting businesses to offer this service as a benefit to their employees.