ARE YOU ELIGIBLE FOR EITC?

GET IT, AND GET IT RIGHT WITH FREE TAX HELP AT A VITA SITE!

Winston-Salem, North Carolina — Workers may get a larger tax refund this year because of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). But to get it, you must file a tax return and claim it.

Friday, January 31, 2025, is EITC Awareness Day, a nationwide effort to increase awareness about EITC and free tax preparation sites. This year, the IRS is promoting EITC and providing information on other refundable tax credits that you may be eligible for.

EITC, or Earned Income Tax Credit, is a refundable credit. This means that if you qualify for the credit, you can get the amount you qualify for whether you are required to file or not, even if you're not expecting a refund. This is in addition to any other refund you may be due. However, you will not just automatically receive a check -- you will have to file a tax return.

Last year, approximately 803,000 North Carolina taxpayers received about $2.25 billion in EITC or an average of $2,800 in EITC per taxpayer.

You might qualify for EITC if you worked last year and had a joint income of less than $66,819. EITC can mean up to a $7,830 refund when you file a return if you have qualifying children. Workers without a qualifying child could be eligible for a smaller credit up to $632.

Why is it important to have an EITC Awareness Day each year? One-third of the EITC population changes each year. The IRS estimates that only four out of five workers claim the EITC they earned. This leaves billions of dollars on the table each year. We want to get the word out to those who are eligible to file a tax return even if they don’t owe any tax to claim the EITC. It’s money workers can use for groceries, rent, utilities, and other bills.

EITC is complex. It varies by income, family size, and your filing status. To be eligible, you must have earned income or certain disability income. This means you must have income from working for someone or working for yourself.

Volunteers – trained by the Internal Revenue Service – ask you the needed questions to find out if you qualify for the EITC and other refundable tax credits. Volunteers at Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites, also prepare and e-file (electronically file) your tax return at no cost to you.

"Our community volunteers help you get EITC and the maximum refund you’re due. Our goal is to help you get it and get it right. This is money you can save or use to pay off bills, buy that car to get to work or make a down payment on a home. Let us help make your life a little easier, “said Shirley Abdullah, VITA Program Director at Experiment In Self-Reliance, about ESR's VITA site.

Visit our free tax preparation sites at:

• Experiment In Self-Reliance, 3480 Dominion Street, Winston-Salem NC

  • Monday - Thursday, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

  • Fridays 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

  • Walk-In ONLY! No appointments

• Forsyth County Public Library, 660 West Fifth Street, Winston-Salem NC

  • Saturdays, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM

  • By Appointment Only! No Walk-ins

OR:

• Find a volunteer free tax return preparation site at IRS.gov Locator Tools

• Call 211 or 311 to find a volunteer free tax return preparation site

Bring the following to make sure our volunteers get you the right amount of credit you deserve:

• A valid driver's license or other photo ID card

• Social security cards, a social security number verification letter for all persons listed on the return

• Birth dates for all persons listed on the return

• All income statements: Forms W-2 and 1099, Social Security, unemployment, and other statements, such as pensions, stocks, or interest, and any documents showing taxes withheld

• All records of expenses, such as tuition, mortgage interest, or real estate taxes

• Copies of last year's state and federal tax returns, if available

• Bank routing numbers and account numbers to direct deposit any refund

• Dependent childcare information: name and address of who you paid and either the caretaker's SSN or other tax identification number

• If you purchased coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace, Form 1095-A PDF, Health Insurance Marketplace Statement

• Both spouses to sign forms to e-file a joint tax return