IDHS reminds eligible workers to take
advantage of free tax help and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
More than 30 sites offer free tax services
Statewide
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[February 03, 2015]
SPRINGFIELD,
IL—As the tax season gets into full swing; the Illinois Department
of Human Services (IDHS) urges eligible Illinois families to take
advantage of tax preparation assistance supported by the State.
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"We want to ensure Illinois families get the maximum savings on
their taxes, so we sent information about tax assistance and the
EITC to more than one million households," said IDHS Acting
Secretary Melissa A. Wright. "For many families, these benefits are
critical to rising out of poverty and making the transition from
dependency to self-sufficiency."
To help working families file their taxes, IDHS partners with the
Center for Economic Progress (CEP) to provide free tax preparation
assistance at 15 tax assistance centers. The services are provided
free of charge to families making less than $50,000 annually and to
individuals with yearly incomes under $25,000. IDHS also funds the
Tax Assistance Program, which has 18 locations in Chicago and the
suburbs of Chicago.
During last year’s tax season, a total of 29,421 taxpayers filed
returns through both programs, collecting nearly $50 million in
refunds—an average of $1,700 per household.
The state also encourages Illinois taxpayers to apply for the Earned
Income Tax Credit (EITC). The EITC is expected to save working
families an extra $105 million this year.
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For more information on the Tax Counseling Project, contact
the Center for Economic Progress in Chicago at (312) 252-0280,
or call the toll-free statewide number at (888) 827-8511. For
information on the Tax Assistance Program call (312) 409-1555 or
(312) 409-4318 (Spanish). Details are also available on the IDHS
website at
www.dhs.state.il.us and the Illinois Department of
Revenue (IDOR) website at
www.tax.illinois.gov.
[Jessica Michael, Illinois Department
of Human Services]
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