| |
Bringing
all the
factors
together
in the
context
of
income,
Howze
said
that “If
you are
married
with
three or
more
children
the
upper
income
limit is
$54,000
dollars.
So if
you earn
less
than
$54,000
dollars
you fall
into the
round to
qualify
for the
Earned
Income
Tax
Credit...and
“If you
are
single
with
three or
more
children
that
upper
income
limit is
$48,000
dollars.”
(Photo
by HB
Meeks/Tell
Us
Detroit) |
| |
Millions
in Tax
Refunds
Awaits
Detroiters
By Karen
Hudson
Samuels/Tell
Us
Detroit
DETROIT
(Tell Us
Det) -
The tax
season
is well
underway
and the
city of
Detroit
is
urging
residents,
eligible
for the
Earned
Income
Tax
Credit,
to file
a tax
return
so they
can
claim a
surefire
refund
on their
hard-earned
income.
But
surprisingly
not all
of the
estimated
26,000
Detroiters
who
qualify
to
collect
cash on
their
earnings
file a
claim,
leaving
$80
million
in
refunds
on the
table.
Lisa
Howze,
Detroit
Chief
Government
Affairs
Officer,
wants to
change
that.
A
certain
level of
income,
marital
status
and
number
of
qualifying
children
are all
factors
that go
into
answering
the
question,
“Do I
qualify
for the
Earned
Income
Tax
Credit?”
Bringing
all the
factors
together
in the
context
of
income,
Howze
said
that “If
you are
married
with
three or
more
children
the
upper
income
limit is
$54,000
dollars.
So if
you earn
less
than
$54,000
dollars
you fall
into the
round to
qualify
for the
Earned
Income
Tax
Credit...and
“If you
are
single
with
three or
more
children
that
upper
income
limit is
$48,000
dollars.”
In the
case of
working
families
Howze
explained
that a
$6,200
Earned
Income
Tax
Credit
could go
a long
way for
a
married
couple
with
three or
more
children
filing a
joint
return.
It could
mean a
savings
account
for
college,
paying
for
bills or
go
toward
purchases
that
puts
money
back
into the
local
economy.
But to
claim
the EITC
Howze
stressed
that a
tax
refund
must be
filed
with the
Internal
Revenue
Service
Making
Detroiters
more
aware of
the
Earned
Income
Tax
Credit
eligibility
and
access
to free
tax
assistance
was the
goal of
Mayor
Duggan
said
Howze
when he
launched
a
campaign
to get
the word
out back
in
January.
To ease
navigating
through
the
qualification
requirements
and to
file a
tax
return,
the city
has
partnered
with the
United
Way call
to
explain
the
benefit.
The
city’s
website
http://www.detroitmi.gov/EITC
has
information
on
scheduling
appointments
to have
taxes
prepared
and also
lists
centers
that
allow
walk-ins,
like
Focus
Hope on
Oakland
Boulevard.
For
people
waiting
for an
appointment
Howze
explained
they is
a Drop
and Go
process
that
offers
free tax
preparation
services
at ten
different
agencies
around
the city
where
individuals
can drop
off
their
tax
related
documents
for
scanning
into a
secure
system.
The
documents
are sent
to a hub
site
where
volunteers
prepare
the
taxes,
in one
week’s
time.
To
understand
why
millions
in
Earned
Income
Tax
Credits
goes
unclaimed,
Howze
pointed
to the
multiplier
effect
of
thousands
of
Detroiters
eligible
for the
EITC but
who
don’t
file tax
returns
or lack
awareness.
To break
down the
impact
Howze
used the
example
of $500
going
unclaimed.
“To a
single
person
with no
children,
who may
have
only
worked a
part
time job
in 2016
they
figure,
I didn’t
make a
lot of
money
this
year so
I don’t
need to
file my
tax
return.
But in
order to
claim
the EITC
they
must
file a
tax
return”
said
Howze.
When the
number
of
Detroiters
eligible
for that
$500 is
multiplied
by the
thousands,
the
unaccounted
for
dollars
add up
pretty
quickly.
Howze
said the
city has
goal of
increasing
the
number
of
people
filing
tax
returns
and
receiving
free
assistance
by 25%.
The goal
for EITC
is to
increase
applications
by 40%
or that
number
is
equals
to 1,000
individuals.
With
access
to free
tax
assistance
and
understanding
of who
qualifies,
Detroiters
can meet
the
April
18, 2017
deadline
to file
a tax
return
and
receive
at
Earned
Income
Tax
Credit.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
I
HI TECH NEWS
I
SPORTS
I
