DelcoAD to Kickoff Free Tax Prep with Mayor of Upper Darby

Delaware County, PA - On Friday, January 27, DelcoAD will host a press conference and outreach event to promote Earned Income Tax Credit awareness and kickoff the 2012 tax filing season. The event will be held in the main lobby of Upper Darby's 69th Street Terminal from 1:00pm - 2:00pm and will include remarks from Mayor Micozzie, Pennsylvania State Representative Davidson, IRS Pennsylvania Territory Manager Jim Daugherty and PathWays PA President and CEO Carol Goertzel. It will also mark the opening of DelcoAD's ten Volunteer Income Tax Preparation sites, where Delaware County residents earning less than $50,000 annually can receive free tax preparation.

National EITC Awareness Day, on January 27 of this year, is a nationwide effort to raise awareness of and access to the Earned Income Tax Credit, one of the largest and most effective anti-poverty tools in the United States. Millions of workers each year overlook the federal tax credit simply because their earnings do not require them to file or they are unaware of the credit. Last year, the Earned Income Tax Credit boosted refunds for eligible workers by an average of $2,100.

According to the IRS, many people will qualify for the EITC for first time this year due to changes in income or filing status. The agency estimates that only four out of five eligible workers currently claim their EITC, meaning one in five misses out on as much as $5,751 extra in their federal income tax refund.

WHAT:
Annual Tax Season Kickoff & EITC Awareness Day
Press conference and outreach to promote Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Awareness and kick off the 2012 personal income tax filing season

WHEN:
Friday, January 27th 1:00-2:00pm

WHERE:
SEPTA's 69th Street Terminal
69th and Market Streets, Upper Darby

WHO:
Mayor Thomas Micozzie, Upper Darby
PA State Representative Margo Davidson, 164th Legislative District
Jim Daugherty, IRS Territory Manager, Pennsylvania
Carol Goertzel, PathWays PA President and CEO
DelcoAD Partners
Community members

For more information about DelcoAD's free tax preparation program or EITC Awareness Day celebration, call Georgia Julius at 610-543-5022 or visit www.delcoad.org.

About DelcoAD:
DelcoAD, sponsored by Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development (PHENND) and the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, is a coalition of agencies, educational and financial institutions dedicated to building the financial health and stability of individuals and families in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Partners provide free income tax preparation as a component of a year-round campaign, linking individuals and families to asset-building resources.
Since 2002, DelcoAD has increased the scope of our VITA program, bringing in new partners and locations to expand VITA reach and help EITC-eligible filers access their full tax refunds. This past filing season, our partners prepared 1,500 tax returns, returning 3.5 million in federal refunds to the individuals and families most in need. Additional information can be found at www.delcoad.org.


About PathWays PA:
PathWays PA, founded in 1978, has a consistently strong record of outreach and service to low income, underserved populations. Throughout its history, PathWays PA has provided low income populations of Southeastern PA with access to benefits, counseling, job training, and asset building strategies. All of PathWays PA's diverse programs and initiatives are designed to aid low income, underserved, and at-risk populations. We are committed to promoting client self-sufficiency which leads to the fulfillment of our mission: to help women, teens, children and families achieve economic independence and family well-being. Additional information can be found at www.pathwayspa.org.


About PHENND:
The Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development (PHENND) is a consortium of 36 colleges and universities in the greater Philadelphia area. PHENND works to build the capacity of its member institutions to develop mutually beneficial, sustained, and democratic community-based service-learning partnerships. The consortium actively seeks to revitalize local communities and schools and foster civic responsibility among the region's colleges and universities. Additional information can be found at www.phennd.org. 


About UWSEPA:
The mission of the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania is to improve people's lives by mobilizing the caring power of donors, volunteers and communities. We are committed to treating entire communities, providing the tools, services, and expertise that can enable those communities to become stronger and more independent. Additional information can be found at www.uwsepa.org.