Quinn for Illinois

By Thomas Geyer

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn visited Rock Island’s Martin Luther King Center on Saturday to spread the word about free tax preparation help that is available for low-income families.

Trained volunteers will help families that earn less than $50,000, and individuals who earn less than $25,000, get all the refund money possible from both the federal and state governments, said Quinn, who is running against Comptroller Dan Hynes in the Feb. 2 Democratic primary.

Of special significance is the Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC, for which many individuals and families may qualify, he added.

“The Earned Income Tax Credit is the best pro-job, pro-family, and anti-poverty tax relief ever devised, and every eligible family in Illinois should receive the full credit,” Quinn said.

Families raising two or more children in their home can receive up to $5,028 from the federal EITC with earnings of less than $45,295, married filing jointly, he said. Illinois residents who claim the federal EITC may also receive the state EITC that can save them $283.

“There are so many dollars out there in tax refunds,” Quinn said. “But, you have to apply for them. We need that money back in Illinois.”

With the free tax help available, there is no need to pay a tax preparation service that Quinn said could cost up to $175.

The free tax preparation sites also aid Iowans with their tax filings.

Scott Crane, president of the United Way of the Quad-Cities Area, said there are 83,000 families in the Quad-City area who qualify for free tax assistance.

“We have only reached a small fraction of those,” he said. “Our goal is to make sure families and individuals are receiving all of the tax refunds they are eligible for.”

Last year, volunteers operated 16 free tax preparation sites in the Quad-Cities, he said. They completed almost 4,500 returns, and brought back to families almost $1.5 million in EITC funds, and more than $4.1 million in overall federal refunds.

Jerry Jones, executive director of the Martin Luther King Center, where a tax preparation site will open Monday, said that the refunds also could help families open a savings account.

“They can start saving, which will help the gain some measure of financial security,” he said.

There will be 16 free tax preparation sites in both the Iowa and Illinois Quad-Cities.

To find a location, call 211 on your home telephone, or go to unitedwayqc.org/vita, or call the United Way of the Quad-City Area at (563) 355-9900.