Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit Information and Resource Hub for Health and Human Services Professionals
2021-2022 Project Archive
ABOUT
This hub was created in 2021 to host information and resources on tax filing for health and human services agencies that serve families eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC). The EITC is a tax credit available to workers and families with low- to moderate-incomes. The CTC provides financial support to families with children.
The resources housed here were created to help health and human services agencies increase awareness of the expanded advance CTC for their customers. Resources may still be useful to adapt for future CTC and EITC outreach; however, language, dates, and links will require revision. Contact Jess Maneely, Manager of Process Innovation at the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) if you would like updated resources for future tax years.
This site will no longer be continuously updated, but it will remain live as an artifact of useful resources from 2021-2022.
STATE AND LOCAL SPOTLIGHTS
Read state and local spotlights to learn about exemplary efforts and promising practices for spreading awareness of tax credits and assisting eligible families.
OUTREACH IMPACT
Resources and tools are available to help your agency make an outreach plan and track the impact of your CTC awareness efforts
STEP 1: Make an outreach plan
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Want individualized support? Email outreach@getyourrefund.org, sign up for open office hours, or schedule 1:1 time
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Have questions or looking for best practices? Learn more here and below. We recommend at least 3 messages before mid-November.
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Tell Code For America about your plans so that we can help track efforts, results, and let Code For America's Client Success team know to expect increased traffic. Email outreach@getyourrefund.org with details.
STEP 2: Claim a unique URL to childtaxcredit.gov or GetCTC.org. Fill out this form to get your unique URL or email outreach@getyourrefund.org.
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This will enable you to track your efforts and see how you have made a difference.
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You will then have access to a data dashboard where you can see how many people have signed up using your unique URL, when, and how much they received.
STEP 3: Send messages!
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Utilize the multilingual outreach materials below and best practices here. Feel free to reach out to outreach@getyourrefund.org with questions or for 1:1 support!
TOOLS FOR OUTREACH
Message Toolkit for Human Services Agencies
GMMB and APHSA
Toolkit providing customizable mail inserts, social media posts, website copy, sample text messages, recorded message scripts, and more for agencies to adapt and use in their customer communications.
Expanded CTC Outreach Resource Toolkit for Public Benefits Agencies
Coalition on Human Needs and Partnership for America’s Children
Field resources for public benefit agencies, including work done by agencies to conduct CTC outreach, sample outreach materials, tax filing resources, resources for immigrant families, and filing resources for foster youth.
IRS
Materials to help conduct outreach to encourage people to learn more about EITC. Provides marketing tools including templates, statistics, fact sheets, how-to-tips, and social media resources. Also includes an EITC Qualification Assistant to help filers determine if they are eligible.
The Social Press Kit
Materials to help conduct outreach to encourage people to file a tax return to claim CTC and EITC. Provides marketing materials including social media posts and graphics, flyers, and posters. Some materials are available in English, Spanish, and other languages.
EITC and CTC Outreach Resources Site
Get It Back Campaign
Materials to support outreach efforts for people to learn more and access CTC and EITC. Includes specific toolkits tailored for each tax credit as well as a toolkit for tax filing. Also includes a memo with guidance on key dates and timing considerations for outreach efforts as well as an estimator tool for filers.
Prosperity Now
Resources to help reach more taxpayers and local and federal lawmakers, sharing the impact of EITC. With materials including social media posts, state data sheets, and shareable images, toolkits are provided for the following target audiences: practitioners, policy makers, researchers, and taxpayers.
National Community Action Partnership (NCAP)
Resource page hosting an array of CTC resources including promotional videos, memos on community engagement, bilingual educational flyers, research round-ups, and more.
Community Resources from ChildTaxCredit.gov
ChildTaxCredit.gov
Resources and tools including best practices, sample texts, sample emails, printable resources, social media posts, and talking points for partners to help reach families about the CTC and EITC. Downloads available in English and Spanish (more languages to come).
Free VITA Tax preparation – Assistance available in English and Spanish
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Call 877-888-1770
Free VITA Tax preparation – Assistance available in English and Spanish
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Call 877-888-1770
RESOURCES
For Health and Human Services Professionals
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Policy Memos:
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White House CTC Website: childtaxcredit.gov
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Tax Policy Center Heatmap: Where Are Families Most at Risk of Missing Out on the Expanded CTC?
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APHSA Webinar Series: Tools and Tips for Quickly Connecting Families to the Expanded Child Tax Credit - This three-part webinar series paired a tool or resource with a state or locality putting the resource to use in 30-minute presentations to demonstrate how tools can be tangibly deployed for state and local government staff.
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APHSA Policy & Practice Article: Child Tax Credit as a Prevention Strategy: Spotlight on Tech Tools Boosting the CTC’s Reach
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APHSA Blog: The Final Push for the Child Tax Credit: Strategies to Implement Text Outreach
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National CAP Webinar: Helping People, Changing Lives Providing Equitable Access to the Expanded Child Tax Credit
For Families
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Find the best filing option to meet household and family needs
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Free VITA Tax preparation locator by zipcode:
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IRS Free File - Guided tax prep online for those with AGI under $73,000
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IRS Interactive Tax Assistant (ITA) - Offers answers to tax questions
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Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Guide to filing your taxes in 2022
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MilTax - Free tax service for military families (provided by the Department of Defense)
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AARP offers free in person or virtual tax service to anyone, not just elderly:
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Call 888-227-7669
PLUG INTO TAX CONVERSATIONS
This hub was a project of the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) and the National Association of Counties (NACo) in 2021-2022.
This site will no longer be continuously updated, but it will remain live as an artifact of useful resources from 2021-2022. Please contact Jess Maneely, Manager of Process Innovation at APHSA if you would like updated resources for future tax years.
