Tax returns are due on April 15. As you prepare to file or to assist low income seniors to file, keep in mind that many low income working seniors can now, for the first time, file for California’s earned income tax credit, the CalEITC.

 

As part of the 2018-2019 state budget, the CalEITC was extended to include low income working seniors who do not have a qualifying child. Working seniors without children and with an income of $16,750 or less may benefit from the credit.

 

Read more about the CalEITC in this explainer from the United Way of California. And search for a free tax preparation site with IRS-certified tax preparers, or file online for free at http://www.myfreetaxes.org.

 

With 1 in 5 seniors in California living in poverty, seniors are continuing to work out of necessity just to be able to pay for basic needs. This includes households where seniors are not only taking care of themselves but are also informally taking on the responsibilities of raising their grandchildren, or providing support to their own adult children who may also be working parents. This extension of the CalEITC will put money in the pockets of low-income working seniors, building on the foundation of Social Security and helping to lift seniors and their families out of poverty.