More than $1 Billion in Cash-Back Tax Credits Available, Local Orgs. Partner for Tax Season Kick-Off Event

FRESNO, CALIF. – This Tuesday, leaders from United Way Fresno and Madera Counties and Golden State Opportunity joined local organizations and residents to kick off tax season and spread the word about more than $1 Billion in cash-back tax credits available to low-income Californians who file their taxes.

The kick-off is part of CalEITC Awareness Week (January 30-February 3), a statewide effort to encourage Californians to claim the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) which helps workers earning less than $30,000 a year make ends meet, even if they don’t have a Social Security number.

Families can receive tax refunds as much as $6,000, depending on family size and income, but they must file their taxes. To help families save money and increase their tax refunds, United Way Fresno and Madera Counties provides free, IRS-certified tax preparation to residents. Make your Free Tax Prep appointment by calling 211 or texting TAXES to 211-211.

“Any time there is a FREE service provided to our community, I want to help support it,” said Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer. “I’m pleased to join United Way Fresno and Madera Counties and their partners to open these free tax preparation sites. Tax preparation can be intimidating and confusing. This is a much-needed service that so many of our residents can benefit from using.”

“Free Tax Prep services might not seem like a big deal. But to a family that is already stretching their budget to pay for rent, utilities or food, the $100-500 they might have spent on a tax preparer, makes a huge difference,” said Lindsay Fox, CEO and President, United Way Fresno and Madera Counties. “These services can impact the trajectory of a person’s year. It can be the difference between being evicted, having your power shut off, or getting laid off from a job. When you add in the value of having IRS-certified volunteers making sure you get back every tax credit earned for your refund, the value of this program really cannot be overstated.”

“We’re here in Fresno this CalEITC Week to announce CalEITC4Me’s plans to reach more Californians than ever before and make sure no money gets left on the table,” said Amy Everitt, President, Golden State Opportunity. “At a time when every dollar counts, we want to make sure that everyone gets the money they earned and they deserve.”

“CalEITC4Me is making leaps and bounds in ensuring low-income families secure the money that belongs to them via cash-back tax credits,” said Reyes Uviedo, Programs Director, Central Valley Partnership. “The Central Valley Partnership is a proud partner in this project by conducting education and outreach services to our rural communities.”

“These tax credits have definitely made a positive impact on the populations we serve, both in the farmworker community and people living in rural areas,” said Ricardo Castorena, Executive Director, Binational of Central California. “People can use them to pay bills or cover big expenses like child care. I see their impact on families every tax season and can say tax credits make a drastic difference in people’s lives.”

California recently committed $20 million a year for two years of education and outreach by community-based organizations to help Californians claim cash-back tax credits. About 20% of eligible taxpayers do not claim their money each year, but CalEITC4Me is working hard to change that with on-the-ground outreach and an innovative new campaign featuring California’s low-wage working heroes created by award-winning illustrator and activist Tracie Ching. CalEITC4Me unveiled three new posters featuring a grocery worker, college student, and working mother.

Click here to download pictures from the event.

Click here to view media coverage of the event: KVPR, KSEE, CBS 47, Univision, Fresnoland

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CalEITC4Me is a groundbreaking, public-private partnership with community-based organizations and the state of California focused on the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC), a cash-back tax credit that puts money back into the pockets of low-income Californians.