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December 15, 2008

Don't Overlook This Tax Credit

Many disabled taxpayers may be overlooking a valuable tax credit that could increase their federal income tax refunds by as much as $4,824. The IRS estimates that up to one in four taxpayers who qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit - or EITC - fail to claim the credit. Are you one of them?

You may qualify if your income was under $41,646 last year and you, or your spouse, worked or received disability retirement benefits under an employer plan and were under the minimum retirement age. The amount of your EITC depends on several factors, such as the amount of your earned income, your filing status, whether you have children and how many, etc. Special rules apply if you have a child who is permanently and totally disabled.

To get the credit you earned, you must

  1. file a federal income tax return and
  2. claim the credit.

Many communities have volunteer income tax assistance sites or local IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers, which will compute your EITC and prepare your return without charge. To locate a volunteer site, call your community's 211 or 311 number for local services or call the IRS at 1-800-906-9887.

Some states have a similar tax credit, increasing the dollars due eligible EITC recipients.

Find more information about EITC in alternative formats for people with print disabilities at www.irs.gov. Follow the homepage link to "Accessibility", then the link to "Accessible IRS Tax Products" and select the appropriate link to download accessible forms or publications. The IRS web site provides accessible electronic files in formats including: ASCII Text (.txt), Braille Ready Format (.BRF), and Talking Tax forms in PDF that work with MSAA compliant screen reading software and Braille display devices.

Eric Bridges
Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs
American Council of the Blind
Phone: (202) 467-5081
Fax: (202) 467-5085

Posted by Nancy at December 15, 2008 11:18 AM

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