EITC for Rural Places

1. EITC for Rural Places Good Strategies, Resources and Stories

2. Four basic strategies for linking rural families to tax benefits • Promote an existing local free tax preparation program. • Get your families to a nearby program. • Bring in sessions run by a nearby program. • Start your own local program.

3. Before you start: Do a little homework • Examine the need / opportunity in your community • Investigate. Is anyone else serving your area with free or low-cost tax services? • If so, explore a partnership. • Better not to have to bake this cake from scratch! • What do you and others have to offer? • Tax preparation experience? • Meeting space? • Volunteers • Access to customers and other relationships?

4. Promoting a program Whether you are building a program you have, partnering with a neighbor, or creating something new – promotion is critical • Go where the customers are • Stores, schools, the workplace, laundromats, food banks, etc. • Non-profit service agencies • Government program sites • Post flyers, pamphlets • Contact community partners • Public service announcements

5. Recruitingpartners No matter which road you take – Partnerships are key! • IRS SPEC Office • Local business community • Financial institutions • Local non-profits • Government agencies • Tax prep companies even! • Local schools – • the tale of Veniyetta Aikens

6. …and don’t forget elected officials! • Bully-pulpit for promotion • Resources for operations • Access to government agencies • Policy influence “…the best anti-poverty, the best pro-family, the best job creation measure to come out of Congress."- President Ronald Reagan “The EITC keeps people off welfare. It offsets other forms of federal assistance. It gives American parents the security they need to enter the work force.”– Senator Patty Murray

7. Working with nearby programs What they are most likely to need from you: • Promotion and participant recruitment • Additional volunteers • Space in your community • Financial support

8. If you are starting your own EITC program… …for one day or for four months… …here are some of the basics!

9. Basic components of a tax assistance program • Trained, supervised volunteers • Training program, whether in person or on-line • Location to provide the service, with ample room for various activities • Outreach and publicity to inform the public of the service • Funding and other resources (e.g., equipment, snacks, child care…)

10. Planning your efforts • Figure out timeline and costs • Start in the fall before or earlier – it takes time to organize, train volunteers, etc. • Know when you have to start the program: • Remember lower income families file early! • Figure out how much it will cost to run a program: • Space • Computers • Materials

11. Volunteer recruitment • Try college or high school students – • “Tax Help New Mexico.” • http://www.cnm.edu/taxhelp/ • Local professionals make great volunteers • Teachers, preachers, bankers, and more! • Americorps volunteers • The backbone of many programs.

12. Finding resources • Get tax prep training. Offered by: • Local partner(s) • IRS SPEC Office(more later) • Online • Check online resources for all kinds of help • National Community Tax Coalition • EITC Platform(more later)

13. Good IdeasRural ConsiderationsPromising Rural PracticesQuilting in Other Opportunities

14. Good ideas for increasing access to tax benefits • Reach out to families experiencing employment changes - workforce agencies • Encourage agencies to include tax credit information or questions in their resource materials e.g., Illinois Dept. of Human Services • Involve businesses: utility companies, grocery stores e.g., Southern Good Faith Fund • Involve employers of low-wage workers – paycheck stuffers, info with W-2’s

15. More good ideas for increasing access to tax benefits • Work with local schools- send info home on report card day (or in “backpacks”) • Involve the local community college or university – with electronic communication, it’s easy to get information out! • Ensure that materials are language-appropriate; use bilingual materials • e.g., Southern TX Adult Resource & Training Center

16. Rural Considerations • Broadband access • Online program may not work where you are • Software version increases privacy issues • Transportation and access • Distances create transportation barriers • For customers… • …and for volunteers!

17. Promising Rural Practices • Circuit-rider programs • Takes the volunteers to the people • Works best with laptops • Volunteers may be picked up from central location • Mail-in program – Iowa example (See packet handout) • Trains local volunteers to assemble information • Ship information to central location for processing • Requires a very strong program to receive IRS approval • Partnerships with private accountants • Utilize professionals already in the community • Negotiate a “special rate” for low-income families

18. Quilting with other services • Careful about adding extras the first year • EITC Carolinas experience • Connection to asset-building • Remember savings bonds • Connection to bank accounts • Remember direct deposit • Connection to advocacy • Recruit for other RuFES-helping services

19. A Few Online Resources • NCTC – www.tax-coalition.org • EITC Carolinas – www.EITC-Carolinas.org • EITC Data – Brookings Institution • http://www.brookings.edu/projects/EITC.aspx • EITCPlatform – www.eitcplatform.org(More on this later)