The 2012 Earned Income Tax (EITC) Day is this Friday, January 27th, 2012 and it’s that time once again to inform those that quailfy of the benefits of filing their federal tax returns. EITC Day, an annual awareness day, is a national grassroots effort to make sure that the public is aware of this potentially life changing tax credits that can put up to $5,751 in the pockets of eligible taxpayers.

Nationally it is estimated that 20-25% of those that qualify do not claim their EITC and Child Tax Credits (CTC). For a family of four (4) earning around $49,000 (married filing jointly) this could be a tremendous loss. In the past eight (8) years, Sant La, the Haitian Neighborhood Center, has prepared over 7000 tax returns free of charge and returned over $10 million into the local Haitian community. It is time once again, starting on EITC day January 27th, 2012, to inform their public of the importance of accessing these dollars.

The amount of the EITC a tax payer recieves is based on several factors, including the amount of an individual's earnings from wages, self-employment or farming and a tax files must work to qualify.

EITC is for workers whose income does not exceed the following limits:

• $43,998 ($49,078 married filing jointly) with three or more qualifying children
• $40,964 ($46,044 married filing jointly) with two qualifying children
• $36,052 ($41,132 married filing jointly) with one qualifying child
• $13,660 ($18,740 married filing jointly) with no qualifying children

The maximum credit is:

• $5,751 with three or more qualifying children
• $5,112 with two qualifying children
• $3,094 with one qualifying child
• $464 with no qualifying children

EITC is one of the nation's largest anti-poverty programs, annually lifting 6.6 million people out of poverty; half of these are children.

“We want to reach those who do not know they qualify for this benefit, especially those hardest hit by today’s economy,” she continued.

Sant La’s 2011 free tax preparation service starts, Monday, January 23, 2012, and runs through the end of the 2011 tax season, Tuesday, April 17, 2012.

Sant La’s 2011 tax season hours of operation are as follows:
Monday – Thursday Friday
9:30 am – 5:30 pm, 9:30 - 12:30 pm

Preferably by appointment
For appointments clients can call (305) 573-4871
Sant La is located at: 5000 Biscayne Blvd, Suite 110, Miami, Florida 33137

If you should have any further questions please call the Haitian Neighborhood Center, Sant La (305) 573-4871.