Corporate Voices for Working Families Launches 2005 Tax Credit Toolkit for Low-Wage Earners

Non-Profit Forms Partnership with IRS to Increase EITC Usage Among Employees

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Corporate Voices for Working Families, a Washington, D.C. based non-profit corporate membership organization, today released its 2005 Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Toolkit. Approximately 4.3 million people -- 25 percent of low-income working families -- are eligible for thousands of dollars in refunds that go unclaimed each year. Produced in cooperation with the IRS with design input from member companies, the Corporate Voices EITC Toolkit simplifies the filing process and gives employers an effective way to educate their workforce.

The Toolkit can be downloaded at http://www.cvwf.org/, and is deployed to Corporate Voices' 49 member companies representing more than 4.0 million employees across all 50 states, and by their 48 strategic partners. Total outreach encompasses millions of workers in both the private and public sectors, as well as thousands of elected officials. All IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites, coalition sites, and local IRS offices around the country will offer access to the EITC Toolkit.

"We want low-wage workers to take advantage of the Earned Income Tax Credit benefit, and the most effective way to do this is to make the application process widely accessible as well as easier," said Donna Klein, President, Corporate Voices for Working Families. "The EITC tax refund is a streamlined solution that adds a safety net for people who work very hard to provide for their families despite challenges to their earning power. Refunds can mean as much as $4000 for eligible families, making it that much easier to pay bills and buy groceries."

"Corporate Voices has been a truly effective partner for the Internal Revenue Service," said Michael T. Wade, employer relationship manager, Internal Revenue Service. "With our newly formalized relationship, we hope to minimize the number of erroneous EITC claims filed and continue our efforts to educate low-wage workers on the benefits of the Earned Income Tax Credit. We know the EITC Toolkit and our partnership with Corporate Voices will assist us with educating corporate partners and their employees on this very effective program."

This is the second edition of Corporate Voices EITC Toolkit, which is funded by the Annie E. Casey, Ford, and Hitachi Foundations. Among significant updates to the 2005 Toolkit is a Spanish-language version designed to increase usage in the Hispanic community. The Toolkit also includes guidelines on predatory lending, the child tax credit, and state EITC programs.

TJX Companies, Inc., a Corporate Voices member company is highlighted in the Toolkit as a best practice example of effective EITC outreach. "In the past, TJX has utilized the contents of the Corporate Voices EITC Toolkit, and will do so again this year," said Patrick Flavin, manager of government programs, TJX Companies Inc. "We have used printed collateral from the EITC Toolkit and distributed to over 1,800 employees at our retail locations across the country."

The Toolkit, which can be downloaded at http://www.cvwf.org/, includes brochures and flyers, posters, paycheck stuffers, a calendar of important EITC dates, and the IRS W-5 form for Advance EITC enrollment.