It's CalEITC Awareness Week! This week highlights the California Earned Income Tax Credit program, which could provide a sizeable tax refund to millions of individuals and families in our state.

If you are at least 18 years old and earned a maximum of $30,000 last year, you could be eligible for a tax refund of up to $3,160, depending on your household size. Plus, if you have children under the age of six, the Young Child Tax Credit (YCTC) adds another $1,000 on top of that.

As Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, I've been a big champion of CalEITC because it's an effective tool that puts money back into the pockets of people who need it the most. For the 2020 tax season, more than 4 million Californians claimed CalEITC and YCTC, receiving refunds totaling $1.3 billion. The money has helped many of them through the pandemic.

I don't want you to miss out. I encourage all income-eligible workers to file a tax return, including ITIN holders, who now qualify as of 2020. Low-wage workers should also file one, even though they generally don't owe taxes because a return is necessary in order to receive the CalEITC refund.

Resources, including a list of organizations offering free tax assistance to claim the credit, are available at CalEITC4me. If you qualify, they'll also help you with filling out the necessary forms to receive the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, which has higher income limits and refunds.

Please feel free to reach out to my district office with any questions.