(NORWICH, CT) – Today Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz visited a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site at Otis Library to highlight the VITA program and raise awareness on the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).
VITA sites located across the state offer free tax return preparation to qualified individuals, including people who make $60,000 or less, people with disabilities, or limited English-speaking taxpayers.
The Lamont administration’s EITC proposed expansion would raise the current rate of 30.5% to the federal rate of 40%. The rate increase will provide an additional $44.6 million in state tax credits to approximately 211,675 qualifying low-income households. “The Governor and I are prioritizing providing relief to families, especially those who are on fixed incomes for whom inflation has really made it difficult to afford basic goods and services; that's why we’ve proposed to permanently raise the EITC to 40%,” said Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz.
“VITA sites will also provide relief to working families. The VITA program is free to those who qualify. Call 211 and they will connect you to a VITA volunteer and get you help. Through the VITA program and the Connecticut Association for Human Services, we alone in our network provided over 10,000 tax returns in the state of Connecticut,” said John Mertz, Advancing CT Together CEO.
“For folks living paycheck to paycheck, this program makes a huge difference. I applaud the Otis Library for hosting this VITA site and being that vehicle for access in this community as far as language, disabilities and just a comfortable space for individuals to come for resources,” said State Representative Derell Wilson.
“We all know taxes are intimidating for any class of people, for low-income people, it can be even more intimidating. With the EITC that's coming forward, it’s great to make sure that taxes are prepared correctly so they can take advantage of that extra income for their families,” said State Representative Kevin Ryan.
The Connecticut Earned Income Tax Credit was created in 2011 and has had varying rates over the last decade, including 30% in 2011 and 2012, 25% in 2013, 27.5% from 2014 to 2016, 23% from 2017 to 2020, and most recently 30.5% for the 2022-2033 fiscal year.