Friday is Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Day; find out online if you’re eligible

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) – As the Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Day approaches on Friday, the Oregon Department of Revenue and the Oregon Department of Human Services are encouraging all workers with income in 2021 to check their Earned Income Tax Credit eligibility.

The Earned Income Tax Credit, which may give families up to $6,728 back when they file taxes, is a federal and state tax credit for people making less than $57,414 per year. Many Oregonians miss out because they simply don’t know about it, especially those that aren’t required to file taxes.

Even if you aren’t required to file taxes, you may still qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit. If you do, you will need to file a federal and state return in order to get this refundable credit.

Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Day is a nationwide effort to increase awareness about the Earned Income Tax Credit and free tax preparation sites. There are volunteer organizations, such as Metropolitan Family Services and AARP that can help you file your taxes for free or at a reduced cost. More information can be found on the Oregon Department of Revenue website.

Basic qualifications for EITC include:

• All filing statuses are eligible, but some have specific requirements that must be met in order to qualify.
• You, your spouse, or any qualifying child must have a Social Security number.
• Your earned income in 2021 must be below certain limits based on your number of qualifying dependents.
• You may be eligible even if you do not have a qualifying child.

The Department of Revenue and ODHS are working with other state agencies and community partners to encourage taxpayers to learn more about this credit and find out if they’re eligible.

Taxpayers can use the IRS EITC Assistant to check their eligibility further. The assistant is available in English and Spanish.

CASH Oregon provides free or low-cost, in-person tax preparation services throughout Oregon. To see its locations, visit www.cashoregon.org. People can also dial 2-1-1 to find free tax return preparation sites.

For more information on the EITC, visit https://www.eitc.irs.gov/. For questions about Oregon taxes, call the Department of Revenue at 503-378-4988.