SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued a proclamation declaring February 19-25, 2017 as “California Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Week” in the State of California.
Governor Brown’s 2015-16 Budget established the state’s first EITC, designed to complement the federal EITC. California’s poorest working families are eligible for both state and federal EITC benefits. You can find out if you are eligible by visiting CalEITC4me.com.
The text of the proclamation is below:
PROCLAMATION
The Earned Income Tax Credit was put into effect last year in California for the first time as a tool to help lift working families and their children out of poverty. In its first year, nearly 400,000 Californians earned refunds from the program, totaling nearly $200 million.
However, many Californians who are eligible for this tax credit did not apply for it last year. We left nearly $2 billion of combined state and federal tax credits on the table, unclaimed. This money is allocated for working, qualified individuals and families to put more cash in their pockets to support basic needs such as food, housing, health care, education and transportation.
This week, we recognize the importance of the Earned Income Tax Credit and encourage all Californians to spread the word about this important resource to those who need it the most. We want every hard-working California family who earned this money to apply for it.
You can find out if you are eligible by visiting CalEITC4me.com.
NOW THEREFORE I, EDMUND G. BROWN JR., Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim February 19-25, 2017 as “California Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Week.”
IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 17th day of February 2017.
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EDMUND G. BROWN JR.
Governor of California
ATTEST:
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ALEX PADILLA
Secretary of State