One Month To Tax Day: Millions of Californians Yet to File
Press release from United Ways of California:
United Ways of California is urging Californians to file before the April 18 tax filing deadline. According to the most recent data from the Franchise Tax Board (FTB), filing for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is down 5% among Californians this tax season compared to this day last year, and while nearly 4 million California residents claimed the tax credit last year, less than 35% of those eligible have filed for the credit this year. Thousands of dollars in tax credits are available to California residents – and all they have to do is file their taxes to receive them. There are numerous no-cost tax filing options available and Californians are encouraged to visit MyFreeTaxes.org to utilize United Ways’ free tax filing program and tax education resources, provided in both English and Spanish.
Advocates are concerned at the low filing numbers this close to Tax Day, as 64% of Americans are now living paycheck to paycheck. However, it’s not too late for working families in California to get additional tax credits from the state – California is offering two tax credit programs to help families stay afloat:
The California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) ranges from $255 to over $3,000 and is available to families with incomes up to $30,000.
If you qualify for the CalEITC AND have a child under the age of 6, families can file for the Young Child Tax Credit (YCTC), which provides up to an additional $1,000 per child.
United Ways of California urges families to stay away from pay-to-file companies to file for these tax credits, which can save filers 13-20% of their tax refund, an average of $400. According to an audit by the Treasury General for Tax Administration, more than 14 million taxpayers in 2019 may have paid tax software providers when they could have filed for free.
“United Ways throughout California are providing IRS-certified volunteers at no cost to these hardworking families, helping them navigate these tax credit programs and get their tax returns submitted early,” said Pete Manzo, United Ways of California president and CEO. “The money can add up to quite a lot. In fact, some families can receive thousands of dollars – depending on their income and family size. With quick, safe, no-cost tax filing programs like MyFreeTaxes.org, all eligible Californians should claim these life-changing tax credits.”
Federal tax credits are also still available to families – even if households made $0 – like the Child Tax Credit (CTC), which provides up to $3,600 per child under the age of 18 as of December 31, 2021, and EITC, which adds up to $6,728 if the filer made less than $57,414.
As of March 2022, the IRS had a backlog of 7.2 million unprocessed individual returns for 2021, a far higher number than the typical one million. Families should expect to experience delays when filing their taxes this year, so it’s important to file as early as possible. The agency also added new regulations around claiming EITC or CTC to prevent identity fraud, so filers should be prepared for an additional delay if filing for these programs.
“Utilizing [free tax prep assistance] is essential to someone in need, you never know what someone has to go through in their lives financially,” said Crystal Vargas, a Kern County resident who filed through United Ways’ services. “I always come here knowing I’ll be taken care of—people don’t need to feel the financial burden of paying someone for their taxes and not knowing what exactly the process is. I plan to spend some of my refund on paying back my student loans and catching up on bills, and the rest to savings for emergencies.”
Nearly one in three California households—over 3.5 million families (33%)—do not earn sufficient income to meet basic needs, making it more important than ever to file by the April 18 deadline – the smallest delay in receiving tax returns could provide challenges to families who need to cover daily expenses and meet basic needs. For more information, free assistance, and to see if you qualify for no-cost tax filing, filers should visit MyFreeTaxes.org or text “taxes” to 211-211 to find a free tax filing site near them.
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Come on people this is how we keep are streets free of pot holes and the schools well funded so you’re children get a well rounded education for there future. If not for all of us paying each others fair share we might as well be a third world country in are own backyard. I personally file and pay my account as soon as possible so our you going to join me in building back better to make us great again. Come on and join me on the dark side in the minority of tax paying citizens whom really care for are great nation building efforts to reclaim a once shattered status as numero uno.
&free Jessie
TLA NLM
Funny how this press release makes it sound like you should hurry and file taxes to get money. Lol! They take your money. Even if you are poor they still take away the little money. Huge sales tax, huge gas tax and other taxes and fees and then they take more with the state income tax. The rich don’t pay and the middle class supports the impoverished. [edit]
If you are really poor (I am) they do not take your money. If you are really poor they actually help you. For instance, the proposed $400 fuel rebate is only being offered to people who file a tax return.
Yes-the fuel rebate only goes to people who file. Other states are directly providing fuel relief by lowering or temporarily putting aside their state gas taxes. But not California! No way!! Better file you slaves! I was pretty poor for a bunch of years- around $20,000/year, single, no dependents and they TOOK money from me. Maybe they changed that now. But I still hold that the rich don’t pay much and the burden for the very poor is being put on the vanishing middle class. And both political parties are cool with that. And nobody is discussing why we have concurrently the largest numbers of uber-wealthy while 10s of thousands are sleeping in tents on concrete. California is a failed state but keeps patting itself on the back…disgusting. More disgusting is that we avoid discussing it let alone protest and tear down Gavin’s hair salon
Hurry up and pay those taxes. I need to keep getting my $2248 a month welfare check and free section 8 rent. If you don’t pay i don’t eat. I would hate if i have to get a job.
If you’re only making 2248 a month then you must be sharing a little apartment with roommates or be homeless.
“I’m disinclined to acquiesce to your request”.
64% of people are living paycheck to paycheck, and yet we never hear any calls for revolution. We haven’t seen a single armed group of civilians rise up and demand economic equality.
We would do well to take example from the French revolution.
It “feels”to me like there are alot of outraged, furious, distraught, fed up citizens. The “veil” seems to be thinning and consciousness rising about all the corrupt systems we have as overlords. Revolution, Civil War always horrific. But maybe push will come to shove one day. I hope we can change it before that.
True. But gotta stop short of that Reign of Terror fervency. People start tasting blood and they just go bananas…
The current IRS/ FTB is unfair to working folks, disincentivizes savings, and is overly complicated. Take a look at fairtax.org for a solution that has EVERYONE paying their fair share. It doesn’t solve the problem of Government waste and inefficiency but is does provide for a more equitable way for the Government to collect revenue.