Press Release

​CSD Celebrates EITC Awareness Day, Encourages Californians to Claim Cash Back Tax Credit 

January 26, 2018

The California Department of Community Services and Development (CSD) and its local Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) partners want to put hard-earned dollars back in the pockets of working Californians by recognizing national Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Awareness Day, a campaign to increase awareness of EITC and no-cost tax preparation services available to low and moderate-income families.

 “EITC puts real money in the pockets of workers that can go towards everything from life’s daily necessities, to savings for a rainy day,” said CSD Director Linné Stout.  “Californians living paycheck-to-paycheck have the opportunity to invest hundreds, even thousands, of dollars in their family’s future with EITC.”

EITC is a refundable income tax credit that has been shown to be one of the most effective tools to reduce poverty and help low to moderate-income workers get ahead. When the federal and California EITC are combined, qualifying families can receive hundreds, or even thousands back just by filing their taxes. This year, more families than ever are eligible for the California EITC, including the self-employed.

California families earning less than $53,930 can receive cash back by claiming the federal EITC on their tax return, and those earning less than $22,300 can also qualify for the California EITC. In 2016, the combined credits returned over $6,000 to some families and the average California EITC benefit was $531.

Federal EITC in California

The economic impact of EITC for families and California’s economy also cannot be understated. The newly updated “Left on the Table” Report, commissioned by CSD, shows that federal EITC dollars claimed in California in 2015 generated $9.6 billion in business sales, supported more than 62,000 jobs and created more than $3.3 billion in labor income. However, many eligible Californians are still not taking advantage of EITC.

Currently, the IRS estimates one in five eligible workers do not claim the EITC they earned. This means that in 2015 an estimated 1.1 million Californians left a total of $1.9 billion in federal EITC payments on the table. These are dollars that left unclaimed don’t get to Californians struggling to make ends meet, and federal funds left untapped that can’t benefit the state’s economy. This year, with the expanded eligibility of the California EITC, it’s more important than ever to spread awareness of EITC.

 

Free Tax Preparation Services

 

Whether required to file taxes or not, Californians must file their tax returns to qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit. To help you keep every cent of your cash back EITC, local CSBG agencies are here to help with no-cost IRS certified tax preparation services. A list of CSBG agencies offering no-cost tax preparation can be found below, or search for the no-cost tax preparation site near you by visiting CalEITC4Me.org/Get-It/.  

Remember: It’s Your Money. Get It!

For more information about EITC, visit CalEITC4me.org.

Alameda County: Alameda County-Oakland Community Action Partnership
Partnering with 2-1-1 Alameda and United Way Bay Area
For more information call 2-1-1, or visit https://irs.treasury.gov/freetaxprep/.

Alameda County: Berkeley Community Action Agency
For more information call (510) 981-5428, email wywong@cityofberkeley.info, or visit www.cityofberkeley.info.

Amador County: Amador-Tuolumne Community Action Agency
For more information call (209) 223-1485 (Amador) or (209) 533-1397 (Tuolumne), email daventi@atcaa.org or tnobriga@atcaa.org, or visit www.atcaa.org.   

Butte County: Community Action Agency of Butte County, Inc.
For more information call (530) 712-2600, email spowell@buttecaa.com, or visit www.buttecaa.com.

Colusa County: Glenn County Human Resource Agency
Partnering with Colusa, Glenn and Trinity Community Action Partnership
For more information call (530) 865-6129, or visit www.cgtcap.org.

Contra Costa County: Contra Costa County Employment & Human Services Department, Community Services Bureau
Partnering with United Way Contra Costa
For more information call (800) 358-8832 or 2-1-1, or visit http://earnitkeepitsaveit.org.

Del Norte County: Del Norte Senior Center
Partnering with AARP Senior Tax-Aide Volunteer Tax Preparation Services Program
For more information call (707) 464-3069 or visit www.delnorteseniorcenter.org.

Glenn County: Glenn County Human Resource Agency
Partnering with Colusa, Glenn, and Trinity Community Action Partnership
For more information call (530) 865-6129 or visit www.cgtcap.org.

Humboldt County: Redwood Community Action Agency
Partnering with the United Way of the Wine Country
For more information call 2-1-1 or visit https://www.unitedwaywinecountry.org/.

Imperial County: Campesinos Unidos, Inc.
For more information call (760) 370-5100 Ext 5131, email ilopez@campesinosunidos.org, or visit www.campesinosunidos.org.

Imperial County: Center for Employment Training
For more information call (408) 534-5413, email pdo@cet2000.org, or visit http://cetweb.org/.

Inyo County: Inyo Mono Advocates for Community Action, Inc.
Partnering with AARP Volunteer Tax-Aide Program
For more information call (760) 934-5674 or (760) 937-0174, search www.aarp.org/applications/VMISLocator/searchTaxAideLocations.action, or visit www.aarp.org/money/taxes/aarp_taxaide/.

Kern County: Community Action Partnership of Kern
For more information call 2-1-1 or (661) 834-1724, email vita@capk.org, or visit www.capk.org.

Kings County: Community Services Employment Training, Inc.
For more information call (559) 732-4194, email albert.cendejas@cset.org, or visit www.cset.org.

Kings County: Kings Community Action Organization, Inc.
For more information call (559) 904-8854, email sperico@kcao.org, or visit www.kcao.org.

Lake County: North Coast Opportunities
Partnering with United Way of the Wine Country, First 5 Mendocino, Mendocino College, and Mendo Lake Credit Union
For more information call (707) 462-1959 or visit www.ncoinc.org.

Los Angeles County: City of Los Angeles, Housing and Community Investment Development
Partnering with Family Resource Centers
For more information call (866) 557-7368, TTY (213) 473-3231, email hcidla.contact@lacfModoity.org, or visit http://hcidla.lacity.org/family-source-centers.

Los Angeles County: Foothill Unity Center, Inc.
For more information call (626) 358-3486, email tashera@foothillunitycenter.org, or visit www.foothillunitycenter.org.

Los Angeles County: Long Beach Community Action Partnership
For more information call (562) 216-4600 or visit www.lbcap.org.

Madera County: Community Action Partnership of Madera County, Inc.
Partnering with United Way of Fresno-Madera
For more information call (209) 383-4242, or visit www.unitedwaymerced.org.

Mendocino County: North Coast Opportunities
Partnering with United Way of the Wine Country, First 5 Mendocino, Mendocino College, and Mendo Lake Credit Union
For more information call (707) 467-3236 or visit www.ncoinc.org.

Mono County: Inyo Mono Advocates for Community Action, Inc.
Partnering with AARP Volunteer Tax-Aide Program
For more information call 1(888) 687-2277, search www.aarp.org/applications/VMISLocator/searchTaxAideLocations.action, or visit www.aarp.org/money/taxes/aarp_taxaide/.

Monterey County: Center for Employment Training
For more information call (408) 534-5413, email pdo@cet2000.org, or visit http://cetweb.org/.

Monterey County: Monterey County Community Action Partnership
Partnering with United Way Monterey County
For more information call (831) 757-3206 Ext: 205, email aranyani.azevedo@unitedwaymcca.org, or visit www.unitedwaymcca.org.

Nevada County: Nevada County Department of Housing and Community Services
Partnering with 2-1-1 Nevada County
For more information call 2-1-1 or (530) 265-7097, email snrdcss@co.nevada.ca.us, or visit http://211nevadacounty.org/.

Orange County: Community Action Partnership of Orange County
For more information call (714) 897-6670, email dbarrett@capoc.org, or visit www.capoc.org.

Riverside County: Center for Employment Training
For more information call (408) 534-5413, email pdo@cet2000.org, or visit http://cetweb.org/

Riverside County: Community Action Partnership of Riverside County
Partnering with Community Action Partnership of Riverside County
For more information call (951) 955-6488, email cclinton@capriverside.org, or visit www.capriverside.org.  

San Benito County: San Benito County, Department of Community Services & Workforce Development
For more information call (831) 637-9293 Ext. 25, email iserrano@cosb.us, or visit www.sbccab.wix.com/cab1.

San Bernardino County: Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County
For more information call (909) 723-1571, email thill@capsbc.org, or visit www.capsbc.org/.

San Diego County: Community Action Partnership San Diego County
Partnering with 2-1-1 San Diego
For more information call 2-1-1 or (858) 300-1211, email 211helps@211sandiego.org, or visit www.211sandiego.org.

San Joaquin County: San Joaquin County Department of Aging and Community Services
For more information call (209) 468-1549, email eboyette@sjgov.org, or visit http://www.sjchsa.org/.

San Luis Obispo County: Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County, Inc.
Partnering with United Way of San Luis Obispo, AARP, and Cal Poly State University
For more information call (805) 544-4355 Ext. 480, email ddornan@capslo.org, or visit www.capslo.org.

San Mateo County: San Mateo County Human Services Agency
Partnering with Samaritan House
For more information call (650) 294-4323, email rkaufman@samaritanhousesanmateo.org, or visit http://samaritanhousesanmateo.org/.

Santa Barbara County: Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County, Inc.
Partnering with United Way of Santa Barbara
For more information call (805) 544-4355 Ext. 480, email ddornan@capslo.org, or visit www.capslo.org/.

Santa Clara County: Sacred Heart Community Service
For more information call (408) 278-2172, email joblink@sacredheartcs.org, or visit www.sacredheartcs.org.

Santa Cruz County: Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County, Inc.
Partnering with Santa Cruz Community Ventures and Santa Cruz Community Credit Union
For more information call (877) 373-8297, email vita@sccvonline.org, or visit www.sccvonline.org.

Shasta County: Shasta County Community Action Agency
Partnering with Goodwill
For more information call (530) 351-7600, email info@myfreetaxes.com or contactus@goodwill.org, or visit www.unitedway.org/myfreetaxes/sacramentovalley.

Siskiyou County: Karuk Tribe of California
For more information call (530) 493-1600, email flopez@karuk.us, or visit www.karuk.us.

Solano County: Community Action Partnership of Solano County Joint Powers Authority
Partnering with Travis Credit Union
For more information call 2-1-1 or visit  https://www.traviscu.org/my-life/blogs/financial-wellness/jan-2017/you-may-be-eligible-for-vitas-free-tax-preparation/

Sonoma County: Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County
For more information call (707) 544-6911, email acervantes@capsonoma.org, or visit www.capsonoma.org.

Tehama County: Tehama County Community Action Agency
For more information call (530) 527-6159, email caainfo@tcdss.org, or visit www.tehamacountyCAA.org.

Trinity County: Glenn County Human Resource Agency
Partnering with Colusa, Glenn, Trinity Community Action Partnership
For more information call (530) 865-6129, or visit www.cgtcap.org.

Tulare County: Community Services Employment Training, Inc.
For more information call (559) 732-4194, email albert.cendejas@cset.org, or visit www.cset.org.

Tuolumne County: Amador-Tuolumne Community Action Agency
For more information call the tax hotline at (209) 283-4021, email tax@atcaa.org, or visit www.atcaa.org/tax.

Ventura County: Community Action of Ventura County, Inc.
Partnering with United Way of Ventura County
For more information call (805) 485-6288, email info@vcunitedway.org, or visit https://vcunitedway.org/.

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