HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 01222008 - C.9 0., Contra
TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS -
`s Costa
County
FROM: Joseph P. Valentine, Director ` s'>a 4oUK
Employment and Human Services Department
DATE: January 22, 2008
SUBJECT: ADOPT Resolution No. 2008/37 proclaiming January 31, 2008 as National Earned
Income Tax Credit (EITC) Awareness Day and Earn It! Keep It! Save It! Campaign
Kick-Off in Contra Costa County
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
ADOPT Resolution No. 2008/37 proclaiming January 31, 2008, as National Earned Income Tax
Credit (EITC) Awareness Day and Earn It! Keep It! Save It! Campaign Kick-Off in Contra Costa
County, as recommended by the Employment and Human Services Department, Workforce
Services Bureau.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None.
CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:
The Workforce Services Bureau of the Employment & Human Services Department supports three
of the five community outcomes established in the Children's Report Card: 3) "Families that are
Economically Self-Sufficient", 4) "Families that are Safe, Stable, and Nurturing", and 5)
"Communities that are Safe and Provide High Quality of Life for Children" by promoting family Self-
sufficiency and encouraging the development of family and individual assets.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNATURE:
-RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
v'"APPROV OTHER
SIGNATURE(S): r
ACTION OF BCS 6tD ON VQ.ILWQ aot, 2�g APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED VI" O-OER
lam'
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
UNANIMOUS(ABSENT AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
Contact: LLOYD MADDEN-313-1726
EHSD-CONTRACTS UNIT ATTESTED VG�,f1UQf`(l �j -rJ
COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR JOHN CULLEN,CLERK F THE BOARD OF
AUDITOR-CONTROLLER SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
BY DEPUTY
ADOPT Resolution No. 2008/37 proclaiming January 31, 2008 as National Earned Income Tax Credit(EITC)
Awareness Day and Earn It! Keep It! Save It! Campaign Kick-Off in Contra Costa County
January 22, 2008
Page 2
BACKGROUND:
National EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) Awareness Day is an event organized by the IRS and
its stakeholders to educate the public about EITC and requirements to claim the credit. It is one
day set aside for news conferences or news releases to raise the awareness of working families
regarding Earned Income Tax Credit, Free Tax Preparation Services, and Split Refund Availability.
Created in 1975, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) helps offset Social Security taxes and
provides an incentive for work. It is the federal government's largest benefits program for working
families. The EITC is for people who work but don't earn a lot of money. The audience includes
people with limited English skills, rural residents, Native Americans, people with disabilities and
nontraditional families, such as a grandparent raising a grandchild. More than 60% of all tax
returns claiming EITC are filed during the month of February. An estimated 20% more people may
qualify for EITC but may not be aware of it.
There are more than 12,000 free tax preparation sites nationwide. Approximately 4,500 sites are
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance sites that provide free services to people who make $42,000 a
year or less. Approximately 8,000 sites are Tax Counseling for the Elderly locations operated by
AARP and free for low-income people who are age 60 or older.
• Each year, millions in federal tax credits go unclaimed by the Bay Area's working poor
simply because they are unaware of the federal Earned Income Tax Credit. In 2002, the
IRS estimated that Contra Costa County had $15 million in unclaimed EITC. The cities with
the highest unclaimed EITC dollars were as follows: Richmond ($2.7 million), Pittsburg
($2.3 million), Concord ($2.0 million), San Pablo ($1.6 million), Antioch ($1.6 million),
Martinez ($546,000), and Pleasant Hill ($291,000).
• In 2007, Contra Costa County had 14 VITA sites, 88 volunteers, 2,148 total number of
returns prepared, $1.02 million in total EITC dollars claimed, and over $2.4 million in total
refunds.
• Attached are the 2007 Earn It! Keep It! Save It! Contra Costa campaign results by location.
• Effective January 1, 2008, Assembly Bill 650, Chapter 606 (Lieu and Jones) requires any
employer who is subject to, and is required to provide unemployment insurance to
employees, to notify all employees that they may be eligible for the EITC.
JV-LM-ah
Attachments
Earned Income Tax Credit Notification Page 1 of 1
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Employment Development Department
Earned Income Tax Credit Notification
Effective January 1, 2008, all employers are required to notify all of their employees of the federal Earned Income Tax Credit
(EITC).
Assembly Bill 650, Chapter 606 (Lieu and Jones) requires any employer who is subject to, and is required to provide
unemployment insurance, to employees to notify all employees that they may be eligible for the EITC. Employers shall give
notification to employees within one week before or after the Wage and Tax Statement(Form W-2) or Miscellaneous Income
(Form 1099) is given. Employers may provide the EITC notification with or at the same time as the Form W-2 or Form 1099 is
given to employees. This new law also requires the employer to process the IRS Form W-5 for advance payments of the EITC, if
requested by the employee.
You must provide notification to your employees by either handing it directly to your employee or mailing it to your employee's last
known address. Posting of this information on an employee bulletin board will not satisfy the notification requirement.
The notification shall include instructions on how to obtain any notices available from the Internal Revenue Service for this
purpose, including, but not limited to, the IRS Notice 797 and Form W-5, or any successor notice or form, or any notice created by
you, as long as it contains substantially the same language as the notice below or in this sample notice.
NOTICE TO EMPLOYEES
Based on your annual earnings, you may be eligible to receive the earned income tax credit from the federal
government. The earned income tax credit is a refundable federal income tax credit for low-income working
individuals and families. The earned income tax credit has no effect on certain welfare benefits. In most cases,
earned income tax credit payments will not be used to determine eligibility for Medicaid, supplemental security
income, food stamps, low-income housing or most temporary assistance for needy families payments. Even if you
do not owe federal taxes, you must file a tax return to receive the earned income tax credit. Be sure to fill out the
earned income tax credit form in the federal income tax return booklet. For information regarding your eligibility to
receive the earned income tax credit, including information on how to obtain the IRS Notice 797 or Form W-5, or any
other necessary forms and instructions, contact the Internal Revenue Service at 1-800-829-3676 or through its Web
site at http://www.irs.ctov/.
Frequently Asked Questions
For additional information, the following IRS links are provided for your convenience:
• Employers
• Employees
• Tax Professionals
• IRS Notice 797
• IRS Notice 1015
• Form W-5
• hnpWm w,irs-.gov/
Conditions of Use I Privacy Policy I Contact Us
The Employment Development Department is an equal opportunity employer/program.
Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.
Copyright C 2007 State of California
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IN THE MATTER OF DECLARING JANUARY 31,2008 RESOLUTION No. 2008/37
AS NATIONAL EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT (FITC)
AWARENESS DAY AND EARN IT! KEEP IT! SAVE IT! CAMPAIGN
KICK-OFF IN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
Whereas, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), created in 1975, helps offset Social Security taxes
and provides an incentive for work, and
Whereas, the EITC is for people who work but don't earn a lot of money. The audience includes
people with limited English skills, rural residents, Native Americans, people with disabilities and
nontraditional families, such as a grandparent raising a child, and
Whereas, National EITC Awareness Day is an event organized by the IRS and its stakeholders to
educate the public about FITC requirements to claim the credit, and . ^,
Whereas, it is a day set aside to raise awareness to working families and individuals of Earned
Income Tax Credit, Free Tax Preparation Services, and Split Refund Availability, and
Whereas, more than 60% of all tax returns claiming EITC are filed during the month of February
and an estimated 20% more people may qualify for EITC but may not be aware of_it, and
Whereas, there are more than 12,000 free tax preparation sites nationwide of which approximately
4,500 sites are Volunteer Income<Tax Assistance sites that a free services to people who make
$42,000 a year or less, and
r '
Whereas, a vast majority of people pay to get their taxes prepared,the message of"Wait to get your
taxes prepared for FREE" is of vital importance, and
........_.
NOW,therefore be it RESOLVED that, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on behalf
of Contra Costa County,do hereby proclaim January 31,2008 as National Earned Income Tax
Credit (EITC) Awareness Day and Earn It!Kee It! Save Its Campaignlrick-Off in Contra Costa
County. ,
PASSED by unanimous vote of ta Costa County Bo f Supervisors on this 28th day of January
2008. 77
F ERAL D. GLOVER, Chair
District V S7vg�
JOIOIA EKEMA
Dist c pervisor District II Supervisor
PIEPHO SUSAN BONILLA
Dis net III Supervisor District IV Supervisor
Witness my hand and the Seal of the
sD L o� Board of Supervisors affixed this 28th
Day of January 2008.
John Cullen, Clerk of the Board of
Supervisors and County
M' o Administrator
Deputy
°°SrA co�3