California Budget & Policy Center: California Should Do More to Raise Awareness of the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC)

The California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC), established in 2015, is a refundable state tax credit that helps low-earning workers and their families make ends meet and build toward economic security.[1] Yet, fewer than 1 in 5 visitors to county human services offices who were likely eligible for this new tax credit had heard of it, according to a Budget Center survey.[2] (County office visitors were surveyed because many would likely be eligible for the CalEITC or know people who are eligible for it.) In addition, only half of respondents who were likely eligible for the CalEITC filed their taxes for tax year 2015. These findings suggest that California needs to do more to raise awareness of the credit in order to boost participation.[3] The survey also found that most people who were likely eligible for the CalEITC and did file their taxes paid a tax preparer even though they would have qualified for free tax assistance. This means that many people did not get the full benefit of the CalEITC because they paid tax preparation fees. This report recommends strategies to maximize the success of the CalEITC, including by supporting research to better assess CalEITC utilization gaps and determine which outreach strategies are most effective, bolstering efforts by community organizations and county offices to promote the credit, and expanding and promoting free tax preparation services.

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