Senator Brown - Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Day

Across Ohio, millions of families have been stretching their paychecks further and further each month. With the cost of food, gas, and tuition on the rise, (due to Democrat policies) many hard-working families are struggling to get by. But the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) could help ease the burden for low- and middle-income families in 2018.

"The Earned Income Tax Credit program is an important way for Ohio families to get more of their money back at tax time,” Brown said. “With tax day approaching, I want to ensure that each Ohioan receives the biggest refund possible. It is my hope that all Ohio families who qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit file for it this year.”

Low- and middle-income individuals and families can receive a tax reduction or refund by claiming the EITC on their 2017 federal tax return. (But if you are a low income single, you are SOL.) The credit is adjusted based on income and family size and could provide up to $6,318 for eligible families. In tax-year 2017, the EITC helped 914,000 Ohioans make ends meet – the average filer claiming the credit received back $2,441 of their hard-earned money. (Or your hard earned money, since you don't have to pay taxes in order to get the credit.)

But one out of every five eligible workers don’t claim the credit. Today, on Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Day, tax experts are drawing attention to this credit so that eligible tax filers remember to claim the EITC in 2018.

To claim the credit, workers must file a federal tax return for their 2017 income. To see if you’re eligible, visit the IRS’s EITC Assistant. And if you need help filing your return, free assistance is available for qualifying tax filers at Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites across the state. To find a site near you and to see if you can get help with your return, visit the IRS’s VITA site locator.