A Three-Pronged Purpose
EITC campaigns have three general goals: 1) raise awareness about the credit; 2) offer free or low-cost tax preparation services; and 3) encourage recipients to use their credits for saving or building assets.
This report serves as a quick primer on the Earned Income Tax Credit — what it is and why it matters to America’s hardworking families. Readers will also learn about a Casey-led campaign that succeeded in boosting the credit’s profile while securing more than $310 million in tax relief for low-income households. This document is one installment in a 10-part series, called Building Family Economic Success, that spotlights how the Annie E. Casey Foundation is helping to economically empower families across the country.
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is our nation’s largest and most important anti-poverty program. It offers hard-working families a means to reduce debt, accrue savings, offset education costs and fund larger purchases like a car or a down payment on a home. It also funnels millions of dollars into the economies of distressed urban and rural communities.