City of Philadelphia’s Annual “You Earned It Philly” Campaign Helps Residents Claim Federal Earned Income Tax Credit
With over $131 million in unclaimed tax credits, the City’s ongoing efforts to assist eligible Philadelphia residents includes 23 free tax filing service locations with IRS-certified preparers, extended hours and multi-lingual outreach.
PHILADELPHIA – The City of Philadelphia today launched its annual awareness and support campaign to help tens-of-thousands of Philadelphia residents apply for the Federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The initiative aims to increase EITC awareness for those who are eligible and dispel the misconception that filing is complex and costly.
Nearly 200,000 Philadelphians already claim EITC, but over 50,000 residents are estimated to be eligible for EITC but don’t apply. That leaves more than $131 million in tax credits unclaimed. The City can help residents determine if they are eligible for the EITC, guide them through the filing process, and offer convenient assistance through a number of resources. The average Federal EITC refund in Philadelphia is $2,500, and the maximum benefit is $6,431. The 2018 maximum income levels for claiming the EITC refund ranges between $15,270 and $54,884.
“Many hard-working Philadelphians qualify for the EITC but don’t apply, and it is our mission to remove the barriers some of them face when trying to obtain the refunds they are entitled to,” said Revenue Commissioner Frank Breslin. “We’re working with well-established community leaders and organizations to provide information, as well as 23 free tax prep locations in neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia that provide flexible hours, translation services, IRS-certifed preparers, and access to additional city services.”
Last year, over 26,000 Philadelphians received free tax return preparation at 20 City-sponsored sites throughout the City, which totaled over $36 million in refunds. This included $11 million of EITC refunds, and resulted in saving taxpayers an estimated $7.2 million in service fees.
The City has partnered with two non-profit agencies to assist working Philadelphians with tax preparation services: the Campaign for Working Families, a non-profit organization committed to helping working families and individuals achieve economic empowerment, and PathwaysPA, one of the region’s foremost providers of residential and community-based services for women, children and families.
To qualify, residents must:
- Minimum earned income is $1 to be eligible
- Income limits range between $15,270, and $54,884, depending upon whether a person is filing as single, head of household, or married filing jointly, as well as the number of qualifying children
- Be between the ages of 25-65 or have a qualifying child
- Have been a U.S. citizen during the entire calendar year of 2018
- Have a valid Social Security number
The filing deadline for the 2018 Federal EITC is April 15, 2019. Eligible taxpayers can also still file or amend returns for the 2015, 2016 and 2017 EITC if they haven’t already. The Philadelphia Department of Revenue is encouraging filing sooner rather than later.
Residents can text FILE to 99000, visit www.YouEarnedItPhilly.com, or call 215-686-9200 to get more information on the EITC and a list of locations offering tax preparation services through the City’s program.