WHAT?

The Earn It! Keep It! Save It! Contra Costa Campaign (EKS) is a free tax preparation service for low and moderate income workers.

WHO?

Taxpayers with household incomes of less than $49,000 in 2010 are eligible for this free service. Volunteers are certified by the IRS to prepare income tax returns. EKS has helped over 13,000 low-income taxpayers receive over $17.2 million in federal tax refunds.

WHERE?

Throughout Contra Costa County the EKS Campaign offers Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites operated by local public, private, and non-profit agencies. Click here to see the flyer in English.  Click here to see the flyer in Spanish.

WHEN?

Now through April 18^th

WHY?

EKS brings money back into the community! We help low income workers claim important tax credits, such as the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

· In 2007, Contra Costa County residents claimed more than $77 million in EITC payments.

· These EITC refunds spurred over $81 million in business sales, close to $20 million in wages, and added nearly 400 jobs to the County economy.

· Approximately 16,000 Contra Costa County residents failed to claim close to $20 million in EITC refunds in 2007.

· If these EITC payments had been claimed, they would have contributed nearly: $21 million in business sales, close to $5 million in wages, and nearly 100 jobs to the county economy (and $1,200 to the average family claiming the credit). Source: “Left on the Table in Contra Costa County”, a study by Dr. Antonio Avalos of California State University, Fresno