[nfbmi-talk] Don't Overlook This Tax Credit

[Mary Ann Rojek]

Don't Overlook This Tax Credit
Many disabled taxpayers may be overlooking a valuable tax credit that could
increase their federal income tax refunds by as much as $4,824.  The IRS
estimates that up to one in four taxpayers who qualify for the Earned Income
Tax Credit - or EITC - fail to claim the credit. Are you one of them?
You may qualify if your income was under $41,646 last year and you, or your
spouse, worked or received disability retirement benefits under an employer
plan and were under the minimum retirement age. The amount of your EITC
depends on several factors, such as the amount of your earned income, your
filing status, whether you have children and how many, etc. Special rules
apply if you have a child who is permanently and totally disabled.
To get the credit you earned, you must 1) file a federal income tax return
and 2) claim the credit. Many communities have volunteer income tax
assistance sites or local IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers, which will
compute your EITC and prepare your return without charge. To locate a
volunteer site, call your community's 211 or 311 number for local services
or call the IRS at 1-800-906-9887.
Some states have a similar tax credit, increasing the dollars due eligible
EITC recipients.
Find more information about EITC in alternative formats for people with
print disabilities at  <
http://www.irs.gov/
www.irs.gov
. Follow the
homepage link to "Accessibility", then the link to "Accessible IRS Tax
Products" and select the appropriate link to download accessible forms or
publications. The IRS web site provides accessible electronic files in
formats including: ASCII Text (.txt), Braille Ready Format (.BRF), and
Talking Tax forms in PDF that work with MSAA compliant screen reading
software and Braille display devices.