Sacramento CA— With the tax filing deadline just weeks away, there are 1.2 million working families in California who are eligible for tax credits from the State of California but may not be aware or haven’t applied.
United Ways of California and local partners are helping to make sure families who qualify know about the programs and how they need to simply file their taxes to receive as much as $4,200 from the two programs.
The Golden State Stimulus (GSS) is a one-time payment of $600 or $1,200 per tax return that is available to families who have an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) filer earning up to $75,000, while the the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) ranges from $243 to just over $3,000 and is available to families with incomes up to $30,000.
“The California Earned Income Tax Credit and the Golden State Stimulus provide critical support to California families hit hard by the pandemic so they can afford groceries, pay rent, and cover their daily expenses,” said Nalleli Sandoval, Senior Director of Programs at United Ways of California. “They worked hard for this money, and we encourage people to file immediately so they can put that money in their pocket sooner and support their families.”
While the California Franchise Tax Board estimates more than 4 million taxpayers are eligible to receive CalEITC for the 2020 tax year, only 2.8 million had applied through April 26. Meanwhile, there are about 5.7 million people in California who earn less than $30,000 per year and are eligible for the Golden State Stimulus this year.
Californians who had an income of less than $66,000 in 2020 are eligible for free filing through myfreetaxes.org, where they can find a free tax filing site near them. Individuals and families who are applying with a federally issued Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) can find support through the ITIN guide, should their ITINs have expired and they need assistance renewing or getting one.
“Filing for the tax credit and stimulus programs was so easy, and it’s done a lot to help me and my family recover from the pandemic,” said Beatrice Munoz, who lives in Santa Rosa. “Getting that money back allowed our family to pay off bills, debts, and buy much needed household things for me and my three children.”