The EITC Tax Program in Akron
Akron, OH. Ohio May, 2005.
From the number of returns the EITC Tax Program of Akron completed this year, you wouldn’t know they only started their program last year. This tax season they finished 772 tax returns, a three-fold increase over the 2003 tax season.
The EITC Tax Program is sponsored by the Akron
- EITC Akron volunteer Gwen Moss with client
Summit Community Action Agency, a coalition of 15 community organizations and city government formed to serve the low-income population of Akron . Funding comes from a Community Services Block Grant from City of Akron.
The EITC Tax Program of Akron prepares taxes for low-income families and individuals who meet the income standards developed under the Earned Income Tax Credit guidelines. Single people must have an income below $11,490; heads of household with one child must earn less than $30,338. If a person files “married filing jointly,” then $1000 is added to each of the income requirements. The Program completes prior year returns in addition to transmitting both state and federal taxes electronically to the IRS and state government.
Volunteers for the EITC Program of Akron are recruited by the coalition partners, such as the United Way . One of the highlights for this year has been the number of volunteers who expressed interest in returning next year, an indicator that they enjoyed their experience.
This year, the EITC Program of Akron initiated an Individual Development Account (IDA) program in collaboration with two banking partners to give low-income families an opportunity to start repairing their credit and saving money. About 30 applicants who were recruited during the tax filing season are now being screened for participation. Given the success of this year, the EITC Program of Akron would like to expand this program next year. If they had additional resources, they could extend the referral process to connect clients to other services.
Looking ahead to next year, the EITC Program of Akron in
- Akron EITC Site Coordinator Carlton Hill assists volunteer Paul Shubbert with clients
conjunction with the Akron Summit Community Action Agency hopes to broaden its horizons to serve a larger population of low-income families and individuals with both their taxes and their financial decisions.
