Dear Community Partner,

Tax season can be an opportunity for consumers to improve their finances and increase their savings. Consumer Action and America Saves want you to know about resources you can use and share to help your clients and community get ahead when they file their tax returns and get a refund this year.

Earned Income Tax Credit
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is widely regarded as the federal government’s most effective antipoverty program. It puts money—as much as $8,046 in 2026!—back into the pockets of low- and moderate-income workers who file a tax return. Unlike some other credits, qualified workers can receive the EITC even if they don’t owe any taxes—but they must file in order to claim the credit, even if their income is so low that they normally would not file a tax return.

Unfortunately, approximately 20% of eligible households fail to claim the EITC each year, leaving billions of dollars in benefits unclaimed. This is largely because many eligible workers are simply unaware they qualify for the credit. Consumer Action’s free, multilingual (English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean) guide to the EITC not only helps filers claim the dollars they're entitled to, it can be used by community-based organizations as a tool to make more workers aware the credit even exists.

Click on the image below to download the Get Credit for Your Hard Work guide.

Tax Time Toolkit
For many households, the best—or only—opportunity they have to jump-start their savings goals is when they receive a windfall. The America Saves Tax Time Toolkit is designed to help community-based organizations support their clients during tax season and encourage filers to make the most of their refunds. The toolkit includes sample social media, email and newsletter content that links to blog posts, articles and videos on the America Saves website covering useful tax-related topics, from tax preparation options to understanding refund-maximizing deductions and credits. 

The toolkit’s messaging and guidance around saving all or part of a tax refund can have a real impact on the financial well-being of low- and moderate-income filers—an impact that lasts long beyond the end of tax season. By saving all or part of their annual tax refund, these households can build an emergency fund, pay down high-interest debt, or invest for the future. It’s an opportunity for progress rather than consumption that shouldn’t be missed.

Click on the image below to learn more and access the Tax Time Toolkit.

Free filing
Don’t miss out on getting a refund because you don’t file! GetYourRefund helps low- and moderate-income households file their taxes for free—on their own, using free tax filing software offered through a partnership with the IRS, or with help from the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Click on the image below to visit the GetYourRefund website to learn more and get started.