Congressman Al Green Hosts Four Town Hall Meetings in Houston to Help the Community File for Earned Income Tax Credit

(Houston, TX)--This week, Congressman Al Green (TX-09) sponsored and organized four town hall meetings to inform tax filers about Earned Income Tax Credit, also known as EITC. Attendees met with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) representatives and tax preparation specialists who assisted with filing their 2010 tax returns.

The Earned Income Tax Credit is a refundable federal income tax credit for low to moderate income working individuals and families. It was originally approved by Congress in 1975 to offset the burden of social security taxes and provide an incentive to work. When the EITC exceeds the amount of taxes owed, it results in a tax refund. To qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit, a taxpayer must have earned income from employment, self-employment or another source.

“Through the Earned Income Tax Credit, our tax system offers low income individuals and families a very beneficial opportunity to get refunds which, depending on their specific circumstances, they can use right away or maybe deposit in a savings account," Congressman Al Green said. "Our objective with these events is to inform as many members of the community as possible about this resource. What’s more, not only can they get information, but also file with the tax experts who are collaborating with my office."

In an effort to provide his constituents with as many opportunities as possible to take advantage of this valuable tax benefit, Congressman Al Green organized four town hall meetings. The first two took place on Friday, April 8, at the Sunnyside Multi-Service Center and at the Baker-Ripley Neighborhood Center, located in the District’s eastern and northern areas, respectively. The other two events took place on Saturday, April 9, at the West Orem YMCA facility Drive and at the Chinese Community Center, located in the District’s south and west zones, respectively.

In 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided a temporary increase in the EITC for taxpayers with three or more qualifying children for all married couples filing a joint return for 2009 and 2010. The maximum amount of the credit for Tax Year 2010 is $5,666.

To obtain more information about the Earned Income Tax Credit, you can visit the Internal Revenue Service’s website at: www.irs.gov.