March 5, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LSC Announces Toll-Free Number for Earned Income Tax Credit
New Phone Service Links Callers to Free Local Tax Assistance
Washington, DC-Thanks to a grant from the Legal Services Corporation to the Legal Aid Society of Orange County, low-income tax filers across the nation have a new resource for help obtaining the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).
The toll-free phone number, 1-888-4-EITC-4-U (or 1-888-434-8248), will help reach millions of potential beneficiaries. Each eligible caller will be provided a list of local agencies that provide free tax assistance. Legal Aid Society of Orange County maintains a database of agencies in every state for the phone resource, including Income Tax Assistance programs, United Ways, and legal services programs with the EITC in their service plans.
LSC President Helaine M. Barnett said, "We commend the Legal Aid Society of Orange County for creating this important national resource for low-income workers. The project is a superb example of the innovation that stems from LSC's Technology Initiative Grants program, and we encourage legal aid offices across the country to share the number with their client communities."
The EITC greatly improves the economic conditions and status of poor Americans. Since its creation in 1975, it has grown to become the nation's largest antipoverty program, lifting more families and children out of poverty than any other government program. Despite the dramatic impact the EITC can have on low-income families, 15 to 25 percent of those eligible fail to claim the credit. According to a study of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, up to 12 billion EITC dollars are unclaimed.
LSC is an independent, non-profit Corporation created by the Congress in 1974 to promote equal access to justice and to provide high-quality civil legal assistance to low-income Americans. The Corporation gives grants to independent, local programs-in 2007, 138 programs with more than 900 offices nationwide. Grants are awarded through a competitive process. The size of each grant is based on the number of people living in poverty in a given state or geographic service area.
For more information: www.lsc.gov.
back to top ^ |
