The Goodwill Box Gives Back

You’ve probably donated clothing or other items to Goodwill at one time or another. Now the nonprofit organization behind the thrift stores and donation boxes wants to make sure that people with low incomes are getting something back.

Goodwill is raising public awareness about the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which can mean thousands of dollars back in taxpayers’ pockets.

Last Friday was the 10^th anniversary of EITC Awareness Day, a nationwide effort to increase awareness of the Earned Income Tax Credit.

The EITC has been in effect for more than 40 years, yet some Americans don’t know about it. It’s a tax break aimed at people with low incomes, and many of those who are eligible to receive some benefit from EITC are under the legal income threshold for filing a tax return.

Yet, in order to claim EITC, people must file a tax return.

One of the many good works that Goodwill performs in communities across the country is to provide assistance in filling out tax returns.

Some Goodwill locations offer Volunteer Income Tax Assistance sites, also known as VITA sites. Here, volunteers will gladly sit down with people and help them to fill out their tax forms correctly, to get the full measure of benefits they are due.

It’s just one of the ways in which Goodwill gives back: Goodwill organizations help fund skills development, job training programs, employment placement services and other community-based programs by selling donated clothing and household items in more than 3,000 stores and online.

To find out more, visit Good Will. To access EITC planning tools, visit My Free Taxes.