EITC, the Earned Income Tax Credit, sometimes called EIC is a tax credit to help you keep more of what you earned. refundable federal income tax credit for low to moderate income working individuals and families.  To qualify, you must meet certain requirements and file a tax return, even if you do not owe any tax or are not required to file

The Earned Income Tax Credit is a financial boost for workers earning $48,362 or less a year. Four of five eligible taxpayers filed for and received their EITC last year.

Here are the top 10 things the IRS wants you to know about this valuable credit, which has been making the lives of working people a little easier for 36 years.

1. As your financial, marital or parental situations change from year to year, you should review the EITC eligibility rules to determine whether you qualify. Just because you didn’t qualify last year, doesn’t mean you won’t this year.
   
   
2. If you qualify, the credit could be worth up to $5,666. EITC not only reduces the federal tax you owe, but could result in a refund. The amount of your EITC is based on your earned income and whether or not there are qualifying children in your household. The average credit was around $2,100 last year.
   
   
3. If you eligible for EITC, you must file a federal income tax return and specifically claim the credit – even if you are not otherwise required to file.Remember to include Schedule EIC, Earned Income Credit when you file your Form 1040 or, if you file Form 1040A, use and retain the EIC worksheet.
   
   
4. You do not qualify for EITC if your filing status is Married Filing Separately.
   
   
5. You must have a valid Social Security Number. You, your spouse – if filing a joint return – and any qualifying child listed on Schedule EIC must have a valid SSN issued by the Social Security Administration.
   
   
6. You must have earned income. You have earned income if you work for someone who pays you wages, you are self-employed, you have income from farming, or – in some cases – you receive disability income.
   
   
7. Married couples and single people without children may qualify. If you do not have qualifying children, you must also meet the age and residency requirements as well as dependency rules.
   
   
8. Special rules apply to members of the U.S. Armed Forces in combat zones. Members of the military can elect to include their nontaxable combat pay in earned income for the EITC. If you make this election, the combat pay remains nontaxable.
   
   
9. It’s easy to determine whether you qualify. The EITC Assistant, an interactive tool available on the IRS website, removes the guesswork from eligibility rules. Just answer a few simple questions to find out if you qualify and estimate the amount of your EITC.
   
   
10. Free help is available at Volunteer Income Tax Assistance sites and IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers to help you prepare and claim your EITC. If you are preparing your taxes electronically, the software program you use will figure the credit for you. To find a VITA site or TAC near you, visit irs.gov.

FREE TAX RETURN PREPARATION

Free tax preparation is available by appointment at friendly, convenient Bucks Back sites throughout Bucks County between January and April for households with annual household income at or below $49,000.  IRS-trained and certified volunteers will prepare and e-file your return under the watchful eye of experienced professionals while you wait.  Additional services include direct deposit, credit report and score, Go Direct, Community Financial Resources Debit Card, BUCK$ LEARN financial education workshops and more.  Call 215-345-8175 x 201 to shedule an appointment at the nearest BUCK$ BACK site.  For more information go to The Bucks County Opportunity Council Website.

Welcome to the Winter 2011 edition of Provider Connections! Provider Connections is a quarterly publication brought to you by the Child Care Information Services of Bucks County.  Our goal is to keep you informed of updates and changes throughout the child care community.  If you would like to contribute to future editions of Provider Connections, topics or events may be submitted to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Please click the link below, PDF format requires Adobe Acrobat.

Winter 2011 Provider Connections

Applications for the 2011-2012 LIHEAP season will be available beginning November 1, 2011.  The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps low-income families pay for their heating bills.  LIHEAP is a grant that offers assistance in the form of a cash grant, sent directly to the utility company, or a crisis grant for households in immediate danger of being without heat.  You do not need to have an unpaid bill to receive home heating energy assistance.  You can receive this assistance without being on Cash Assistance.

Please visit the LIHEAP website for requirements and online application services.

The Bucks County EARN Program has opened a children's donation store!  Donations including gently used children's clothing, toys, games, furniture and more will be accepted at the Bucks EARN Center located in CareerLink at 1260 Veterans Highway, Bristol, PA.  Anyone interested in receiving donations must be referred through a program.  Please view the flyer below for further information.

Second Time Around flyer