How Can I Find Out More about the Earned Income Credit or the Child and Dependent Care Credit?

For a free, easy-to-understand tax credit outreach kit, contact the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 820 First Street, NE, Suite 510, Washington, DC 20002, 202-408-1080, Fax 202-408-1056, Email eickit@cbpp.org, www.cbpp.org. The kit includes detailed worksheets, outreach strategy ideas, flyers, posters, brochures in both English and Spanish, and an envelope stuffer.

The National Women’s Law Center has materials on the Child and Dependent Care Credit. Contact them through their website at www.nwlc.org or call 202-588-5180.

Also go to the Internal Revenue Service website at www.irs.gov or call 1-800-TAX-1040 for detailed eligibility rules, brochures and filing forms.

Where Can Families Get Help With Tax Forms? Some Missouri communities have Volunteer Income Tax Assistance sites where low- to moderate-income families can get their tax returns filled out for free and even filed electronically. Volunteers are IRS-trained.

Many Community Action Agencies in Missouri sponsor Volunteer Income Tax Assistance sites and offer tax credit information. Call your local Community Action Agency to find out about your community or call 1-800-TAX-1040.

If your community doesn’t have a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance site, consider working with IRS and local partners to get one started. call 1-800-TAX-1040 and ask for your nearest Taxpayer Education Office. Sites are open from late January through April 15.

See Tax Credits for People Who Work for more information.

Brenda Procter, M.S., State Specialist & Instructor, Personal Financial Planning, University of Missouri-Extension

Last update: Monday, January 30, 2006