Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County kicked off its Tax EZ
Program, a free tax preparation service that has helped hundreds of
low-income families
Gilroy
Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County kicked off its Tax EZ Program, a free tax preparation service that has helped hundreds of low-income families and individuals secure their Earned Income Tax Credit and other tax benefits, returning more than $2.9 million back into the local economy in the last three years.
Catholic Charities is the leading provider of free tax preparation services in Santa Clara County. Last year, the agency helped secure 60 percent of the EITC dollars received by local families, totaling $648,902. Catholic Charities runs four volunteer Income Tax Assistance Sites, which are endorsed and monitored by the Internal Revenue Service.
The Tax EZ Program is part of Catholic Charities‚ campaign to cut poverty in half by 2020. The EITC is the largest anti-poverty program in the United States, returning much-needed funds to the working poor. It is one of the many services Catholic Charities offers that gives individuals and families the tools they need to become self-sufficient and rise up out of poverty.
The EITC also helps bring dollars back into the local economy. During the last three years, Catholic Charities has helped return more than $1.3 million in EITC funds back into Santa Clara County.
Tax preparation services are available in several languages, including English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Bosnian and Filipino. Those with annual incomes of $40,000 or less are eligible to participate in the Tax EZ Program.
The EITC can mean a significant amount of income for families – as much as $4,716 for a family with two or more children, $2,853 for a family with one child, and $428 if there are no children. Income limits differ depending on the size of the family, with the highest eligible income being $39,783 for married couples filing jointly with two or more children.
Catholic Charities has been providing the free tax preparation service since 2005 with the help of funding from the Knight Foundation.
For more information in Spanish or English, call (408) 325.5241. For information in Vietnamese, call (408) 325.5106. A complete list of Tax EZ sites is available at www.ccsj.org.
For more than 50 years, Catholic Charities has worked to strengthen families and build economic self-sufficiency for the poor and vulnerable in Santa Clara County. We serve 27,000 individuals of all cultures and beliefs annually through a broad base of human services programs, and advocate for long-term solutions through our Campaign to Cut Poverty in Half by 2020. Catholic Charities is a member of Catholic Charities USA, the nation’s largest social services network. Administration is located at 2625 Zanker Road, San Jose, California. For more information, visit www.ccsj.org
– Serra Cottage (next to St. Francis Center), 7980 Church St.
n Wednesdays 2 to 6 p.m. through April 9
