About this Web Site
Intent of this web site
A primary intent of the web site is to make the often complex world of tax credits more understandable and accessible to tax payers and persons who help others with tax return preparation and to direct web site users to relevant additional sources of information. In developing this web site we have tried to gather and assemble a wealth of practical information on tax credits, with a special focus on the federal Earned Income Credit (EIC). It can be thought of as a shared, centralized file cabinet that is well-organized and routinely updated. In addition to storing basic information about tax credits, it provides the ability to check online one's eligibility status to claim various tax credits and to link to downloadable application forms.
Intended audience
Tax payers and those who provide tax preparation assistance throughout the United States can use this web site. The web site is focused in particular on tax credits that can be claimed by low and moderate income workers.
Topics this web site currently covers
Presently this web site covers information on the Earned Income Credit, the most important federal tax credit for low income workers. The site also covers information on earned income credits offered by about 15 states and the District of Columbia.
For each tax credit that is described on the web site we cover the following: 1) what the credit entails; 2) eligibility criteria; 3) practical information on how to claim it; 4) claim amounts, if eligible; and 5) frequently asked questions. The content is written in English and we hope to eventually translate it into Spanish. Information on the web site is routinely updated to stay current with changes in tax credits as they become available.
Topics this web site intends to cover in the future
We are currently developing additional content that will be added to the web site in the future. Sections that we plan to eventually add to the web site include information on:
- Child Tax Credit
- Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit
Milestones in the development of TaxCreditResources.org
- December 2002 - TaxCreditResources.org went live
Eligibility Check
An Eligibility Check for various tax credits (e.g., federal EIC, various state EIC's and the Child Tax Credit). This feature enables a user to enter information that is relevant to determining eligibility for a particular tax credit. The Eligibility Check evaluates the information provided and makes an unofficial determination, either indicating the individual/family appears to be eligible or stating the person does not appear eligible and listing the reason(s) why.
Tips on how to best use this web site
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It is useful to first examine the areas of assistance that this web site covers and the programs within each section. Use the drop down box on the top left corner to view the various types of tax credits.
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Read the overview page for each section and the overview page of programs within a section to see what may be relevant to you.
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You should read the written content of a program in some detail to understand what the tax credit is about and to have some idea about eligibility requirements. If a particular tax credit has an Eligibility Check, you may want to complete the necessary questions, but only after reading the written content. This will help you to spend your time wisely. Also, should you complete an Eligibility Check, it will make it easier to understand why the questions in the Eligibility Check are being asked of you.
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If you are a potentially able to claim a tax credit, but have continued questions you may want to seek the assistance of a tax advisor, tax professional, Certified Public Account (CPA) or the like. This web site is not intended to replace the useful help that such persons can provide. At the same time, should you seek out a tax advisor's assistance, becoming familiar with the types of tax credits that are potentially available may allow you to communicate more effectively with this person.
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Clicking on the top of any page (where the picture of tax forms and other images is shown) will return you to the home page of the web site.
Accessibility
Our goal is to make the TaxCreditResources web site accessible to all users, including those using various forms of assistive technology. Accordingly, to the extent possible, we have followed the accessibility guidelines of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and Section 508 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act.
If you experience a problem when visiting our web site, we would like to know about it. Please send an e-mail to:
The following information will help us correct the problem:
- the web site address (URL) of the page you were trying to view.
- the type of adaptive equipment you are using, if any.
- a description of the problem, including any error messages you may have received.
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