Press Releases

For Immediate Release
Date: January 9, 2007
Contact: Debbie Kellock
Phone: 616-393-5610

Free Tax Preparation Assistance Offered

Ottawa County Community Action Agency is part of a statewide effort to increase collection of the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Home Heating Credit (HHC) by eligible individuals. Community Action Agency is raising awareness and expanding free tax preparation assistance to low-income tax filers. If you or someone you know needs assistance filing taxes, contact Community Action Agency 616-393-5610 to see if you qualify and to schedule an appointment.

As stable employment becomes increasingly difficult to find, working families and low-income individuals are struggling to make ends meet. One answer is to help eligible families and individuals access the federal EITC. According to the Internal Revenue Service, the EITC is a refundable federal income tax credit for low-income working individuals and families. Workers who quality for the EITC and file a federal tax return can get back some or all of the federal income tax that was taken out of their pay during the year. They may also get extra cash back from the IRS. Even workers whose earning is too small to owe income tax can get the EITC. The EITC offsets any additional taxes workers may owe, such as payroll taxes.

Who qualifies for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)? You must file income taxes and have earned income. Your adjusted gross income must be less than:

  • $32,001 for taxpayers with one qualifying child ($34,001 for married and filing jointly) to receive a credit up to $2,747.
  • $36,348 for taxpayers with more than one qualifying child ($38,348 for married and filing jointly) to receive a credit up to $4,536.
  • $12,120 for taxpayers with no qualifying child ($14,120 for married and filing jointly) to receive a credit up to $412.
  • Individuals with no qualifying child must be at least 25 and under the age of 65 to claim the EITC.

The Home Heating Credit (HHC) is designed to assist low-income families living in Michigan with the cost of heating their homes. The HHC is federally funded through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). To be eligible, your homestead must be in Michigan, where you maintain a permanent residence; you are not a full-time student who is claimed as a dependent on another person’s income tax return; you did not live in a licensed care facility for the entire tax year; and your income is within the qualifying income levels. Qualifying income levels for the 2007 home heating credit are as follows:

Exemptions Income Ceiling
0 or 1
$10,786
2
$14,529
3
$18,271
4
$22,014
5
$25,757
6
$29,500

To see if you qualify for the EITC or HHC, contact Community Action Agency at (616) 393-5610. It is the mission of the Ottawa County Community Action Agency to reduce the effects of poverty in Ottawa County by promoting self-sufficiency and economic independence. Auxiliary aids available upon request to individuals with disabilities. An equal opportunity employer/program.

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