|  Residents have until April 18 to file their IRS tax return. IMPACT is part of a collaboration to encourage every Milwaukee County resident to claim all the tax return money that they are eligible to receive.
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit are the largest anti-poverty programs in the country. Targeted to working families, the EITC is widely recognized as a powerful tool to encourage work, put money back in the pockets of working families to help them afford the basics, and stimulate local economic growth.
People can simply dial 2-1-1, text their zip code to 898-211, or visit impactinc.org to access free tax preparation. Services are eligible for residents
with a 2015 household income of $54,000 or less. According to Citizen Action of Wisconsin, thousands of residents across the county fail every year to claim credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) - a decision that costs Milwaukee County more than $60 million in unclaimed tax refund money.
Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele has been a strong supporter of efforts to help promote the free tax preparation services and information about tax credits.
Using Milwaukee County Transit buses to promote the "Call 2-1-1" message and encouraging all county departments to share information with their clients is similar to the award-winning tactics Milwaukee County utilized in the Health Communities Challenge which earned Milwaukee a visit from President Obama earlier this month.
Milwaukee County Transit buses are displaying a special message
"Need Tax Help? Call 2-1-1"
Photo credit: FOX6 - Watch the news segment here
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