THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY FONTANA, FARNESE, TARTAGLIONE, KITCHEN, WASHINGTON, STACK, TOMLINSON, HUGHES, WILLIAMS, PILEGGI, McILHINNEY, SCHWANK, GREENLEAF, SMUCKER, YUDICHAK, PICCOLA, BROWNE, BRUBAKER, PIPPY, FERLO, WARD, ORIE, D. WHITE, COSTA, RAFFERTY, BREWSTER, SOLOBAY, VOGEL, FOLMER, EARLL, LEACH, BOSCOLA, DINNIMAN, BAKER, M. WHITE, BLAKE, YAW, MENSCH, SCARNATI, ERICKSON, GORDNER, WAUGH, ARGALL, EICHELBERGER, VANCE, KASUNIC, ALLOWAY, CORMAN, WOZNIAK AND ROBBINS, JANUARY 24, 2012

INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, JANUARY 24, 2012  

A RESOLUTION

Designating Friday, January 27, 2012, as "Earned Income Tax

Credit (EITC) Awareness Day" in Pennsylvania.

WHEREAS, "EITC Awareness Day" is a national grassroots effort

highlighting this potentially life-changing tax credit; and

WHEREAS, The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a refundable

Federal income tax credit for low-income to moderate-income

working individuals and families; and

WHEREAS, The tax credit was enacted in 1975 following

Congressional approval in part to offset the burden of Social

Security taxes and to provide an incentive to work, and in the

decades that followed, the tax credit grew in size and

importance through legislation; and

WHEREAS, EITC has developed into one of the country's largest

antipoverty programs, lifting 6.6 million people out of poverty

each year, half of whom are children; and

WHEREAS, According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), in

2011, more than 26 million workers nationwide received nearly

$59 billion in EITC, with the average credit totaling $2,100,

and just over 900,000 of those workers were from this

Commonwealth, receiving a total of $1.81 billion; and

WHEREAS, The amount of the credit is based on several

factors, including the amount of a worker's earnings from wages,

self-employment or farming, the recipient's marital status and

number of children, and can total as much as $5,751; and

WHEREAS, Each year, millions of people risk missing out

because they do not know they have to file and claim the credit

to receive it, but awareness campaigns, outreach efforts and tax

events can help ensure that eligible workers receive the credits

they have earned; and

WHEREAS, The IRS estimates that four out of five eligible

taxpayers claim and receive their EITC, and "EITC Awareness Day"

is an attempt to raise that number to five out of five; and

WHEREAS, Workers at risk of overlooking the tax credit

include those whose earnings declined, whose marital status

changed, with limited English skills, living in rural areas, who

are Native Americans, who have disabilities or are raising

children with disabilities, without children, with earnings

below the filing requirements or living in nontraditional homes;

and

WHEREAS, The IRS works with national and local partners to

provide free tax help and education about EITC; and

WHEREAS, The United Way of Allegheny County is holding its

own event to help low-income and middle-income residents

complete their taxes for free; and

WHEREAS, The Family Tax Day event is being held Saturday,

January 28, 2012, and connects residents with IRS volunteers to

ensure that working families have the opportunity to access

their full refunds at tax time; and

WHEREAS, For eight hours, IRS volunteers will meet with

taxpayers, complete and file their tax forms and connect them

with other valuable services in the community; and

WHEREAS, In addition to Family Tax Day, the United Way of

Allegheny County and the Money In Your Pocket Coalition will

offer free tax preparation and financial education services

throughout tax season; and

WHEREAS, EITC education and awareness efforts can provide a

financial boost for working people in a recovering economy,

putting potentially thousands of dollars into the pockets of

eligible taxpayers; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate designate Friday, January 27, 2012,

as "Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Awareness Day" in

Pennsylvania.