About EITC

In 2003, the United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona (UWTSA) convened a meeting among community, financial, faith-based and government organizations that were concerned with the self-sufficiency of Pima County residents.

This same year, the Earn Income Tax Credit (EITC) Task Force was formed with a mission of helping low-income families receive EITC and use it for asset development. The EITC Task Force partnered with the IRS to open Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites.

The VITA program provides low- to moderate-income workers in the Tucson area with free tax preparation. The VITA program allows families and individuals to receive every tax benefit available to them, including EITC. EITC encourages people to work and raises more workers and children out of poverty than any other federal government program.

By volunteering, a VITA volunteer can directly help boost a working family's income by up to 40 percent. Last year VITA volunteers prepared 3,400 tax returns, brought back to families over $2 million in EITC funds and $4.1 million in overall federal refunds plus saved families more than $800,000 in tax preparation fees. By increasing income, the VITA program directly affects a family's or individual's ability to become or remain financially stable.

To further the mission of financial stability, asset development volunteers will be on hand at VITA sites to offer information about financial education programs. By linking the EITC refund with asset development protection and development opportunities, the EITC program will go a long way in helping families become financially stable.

As a of tax year 2006, the EITC Task Force consists of over 40 organizations and has increased VITA program participation by more than 1000%, serving more than 7,000 families and connecting these participants to more than $5 million in EITC. For the latest tax year, 136 volunteers at 17 tax sites brought in $2.1 million in EITC.

View our EITC brochure
Need Tax Help?
Would You Like to Volunteer?

For more information about EITC, please contact:

Chris McNamara, MPA
Program Manager, Family Financial Stability
cmcnamara@unitedwaytucson.org
(520) 903-9000 Ext. 198