Eligible Workers Urged to Apply for EIC

With the downswing in the U.S. economy, many working people with once-comfortable incomes are struggling to pay the bills. As the April 15 deadline for filing federal taxes approaches, CWA and the AFL-CIO want to ensure that everyone with low-to-moderate incomes knows how to benefit from the earned income tax credit.

The EIC helps reduce the tax burden on lower-wage workers who file a federal tax return. Workers who qualify can get back some or all of the federal tax taken out of their paychecks during the year.

Single or married workers, fulltime or part-time, are eligible for the 2004 benefit according to these guidelines:

• Workers raising one child in their home who had family income of less than $30,338 (single) or $31,388 (married) can receive up to $2,604.
  
  
• Workers raising more than one child in their home who had family income of less than $34,458 (single) or $35,458 (married) can receive up to $4,300.
  
  
• Workers between the ages of 25 and 64 without children at home whose incomes were below $11,490 (single) or $12,490 (married) can receive up to $390.

Qualifying children, who include stepchildren, grandchildren, foster children and even brothers and sisters, must live with the worker at least half the year. They must be under age 19, or under age 24 if they are fulltime students. Totally and permanently disabled children of any age may also qualify.

For more information about the EIC and free help filing taxes, call the Internal Revenue Service at (800) 829-1040. A wealth of information is also available online from the non-profit Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Go to www.cbpp.org and click on "Earned Income Credit" in the left-hand column under "areas of research."