Congressman Cohen Reminds Eligible Ninth District Residents to Claim EITC on Federal Tax Returns

[MEMPHIS, TN] – With National Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Awareness Day later this month, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today highlighted that eligible citizens can boost their tax refund by an average of more than $2,500 in Tennessee by claiming the EITC on their federal tax return. Citizens who earned less than $53,267 while working last year could be eligible for as much as $6,242 through the EITC, which helps working Americans keep more of the money they have earned.

“The Earned Income Tax Credit is too important for people to overlook, and everyone who is eligible should claim it,” said Congressman Cohen. “Memphians and all of the citizens of Shelby County shouldn’t pay more than they owe and should receive every penny they deserve in refunds. I hope the citizens of the Ninth Congressional District take advantage of the free assistance available to them as well as the EITC, which adds an average of more than $2,500 to qualifying refunds in Tennessee.”

Historically, eligible Memphis and Shelby County taxpayers have not taken full advantage of the EITC program. In recent years, as much as $70 million in potential tax refunds was left on the table by area taxpayers. The IRS has made an online EITC Assistant tool, located at www.irs.gov/eitc, available to those seeking to quickly and easily determine their eligibility. Those with income less than $53,267 could also qualify for free tax return preparation from local IRS-certified preparers, a list of which can be found here.

In December, Congressman Cohen voted to permanently extend the Earned Income Tax Credit, which is indexed for future increases, for low and middle income individuals and families. This provision ultimately became law.