Free Income Tax Preparation/e-filing Sites open throughout Philadelphia:

Fast, Free Services offered by IRS-certified tax preparers

PHILADELPHIA, PA January 8, 2007-  You may be eligible to have your tax return prepared and e-filed for free, and get your money -- all of it -- back quickly.  You can also split your refund into two or more accounts, spending some and saving some.

Sixteen free tax-filing sites open in neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia the week of January 15, all managed by The Campaign for Working Families.

The locations of the Campaign's free tax preparation sites and information on eligibility for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) are available now by calling the Campaign's 24-hour information line at 215-686-2599. The phone line is in Spanish and English.  Additional information is available on the website phillyfreetaxes.org.

Philadelphia families and individuals earning less than $40,000 per year (2006) are eligible for the Campaign’s services. Taxes are prepared by IRS-certified volunteers, who are trained to help you get all of your tax credits and refunds, and to prepare “split refund” tax filings. 

EITC is a tax benefit for families and individuals who earned, in 2006, less than $38,348 (have children) or less than $14,120 (no children).  EITC refunds can be up to $4,536 per year, based on family size and income.

Over the past four years, Philadelphia's Campaign for Working Families has brought nearly $66 million  directly into the homes of low-income working families.  And saved these families an additional estimated $11.7 million in interest, fees, charges for tax preparation and check cashing, and loans.

The Campaign is part of a national movement to promote EITC, to provide free tax services, and to protect taxpayers from rip-offs, including Pay Stub and Refund Anticipation Loans (RALs), sometime called “Instant Money” or “Rapid” Loans.  Promoted in early January, Pay Stub loans are expected to be repaid from a tax filer’s anticipated tax refund.  They sap money from low-income workers and pose additional consumer risks because they are based on estimated, not actual earnings.

About the Campaign for Working Families (CWF):

A partnership that operates free federal and state tax preparation/e-filing sites throughout Philadelphia. Connects individuals to the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), other tax credits and public benefits. Enables families to keep and grow their money through split refunds and additional asset building tools. For more information www.phillyfreetaxes.org or 215-686-2599.

Managed by the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition (GPUAC), Campaign for Working Families partners are:  Ceiba, City of Philadelphia: Free Library and Mayor's Office of Consumer Affairs, Community Legal Services, Consumer Credit Counseling Services of the Delaware Valley, District 1199c, Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger, Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition, Internal Revenue Service, PathWays PA, Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth, Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO, Philadelphia County Assistance Office, Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation, The Reinvestment Fund, Transitional Work Corporation, and United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania.