Date: 02-13-2015
Valuable resource for thousands of Kentuckians who are employed, but
earn low wages…
Kentucky Press News Service
LEXINGTON – Lt. Gov. Crit Luallen Friday joined local officials and representatives from United Way of the Bluegrass to launch the annual campaign to urge eligible Kentuckians to apply for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a refundable federal tax credit for low- and middle-income working individuals and families.
“This tax credit is an extremely valuable resource for thousands of Kentuckians who are employed, but earn low wages,” Luallen said. “We want to make certain that every Kentuckian who is eligible for this benefit receives it, so I encourage everyone filing taxes this season to visit our website to see if you of your family qualify for the EITC.”
In tax year 2013 Kentuckians filed nearly 409,000 EITC claims for more than $960 million in benefits statewide. The average awarded credit was $2,351. According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), an estimated 15 to 20 percent of eligible workers still do not claim their EITC benefits, mostly due to lack of awareness.
There are nearly 200 free tax preparation sites across the state where trained and IRS-certified volunteers will assist Kentuckians with filing their taxes and applying for the EITC. To find information about these Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites, including addresses, phone numbers and if appointments are required, visit http://assistance.ky.gov/.
Additionally, Kentuckians living in central and northern Kentucky areas can dial 2-1-1 to find information on VITA sites near them. Counties who can access 2-1-1 include Anderson, Boone, Bourbon, Boyle, Bullitt, Campbell, Carroll, Clark, Estill, Fayette, Franklin, Garrard, Grant, Harrison, Henry, Jefferson, Jessamine, Kenton, Lincoln, Mercer, Madison, Montgomery, Nelson, Nicholas, Oldham, Owen, Powell, Scott, Shelby, Spencer, Trimble and Woodford, according to a state news release.
For information about VITA sites outside the 2-1-1 calling area, taxpayers may call Community Action Kentucky at 800-456-3452.
Eligibility for the EITC is based on income and household composition, as is the amount of the credit. Families who earned up to $52,427 in 2014 could be eligible for the EITC. More detailed qualification information is available at http://assistance.ky.gov/.
