It's CalEITC Awareness Week, a time we highlight the California Earned Income Tax Credit program, which provides tax refunds to millions of lower-wage workers and their families.

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 $3,417, depending on the size of your household. Plus, if you have young children, the Young Child Tax Credit (YCTC) adds another $1,083 on top of that.

New this year is the Foster Youth Tax Credit (FYTC), which could mean $1,083 for young adults up to the age of 25 who were 13 years or older when they were put into the foster care system. Many of them face challenges as they enter adulthood, and this financial assistance is designed to help them meet expenses.

As Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, I've been a big champion of CalEITC because it's an effective anti-poverty tool that puts money back into the pockets of people who need it the most. I've successfully been able to expand the program so that more people qualify.

For the 2021 tax season, more than 3.6 million Californians claimed CalEITC and YCTC, receiving refunds totaling $1 billion. The money has helped many of them through the pandemic. This year, the money could help people fight global inflation that has caused the prices of many necessities to go up.

I don't want you to miss out. I encourage income-eligible workers, including ITIN holders, to file a tax return. Low-wage workers should also file one, even though they generally don't owe taxes. The paperwork 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 YCTC, FYTC and/or the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, which has higher income limits and refunds.

PHIL TING
Assemblymember, 19th District

P.S. I will be participating in the San Francisco Lunar New Year Parade this Saturday, February 4, starting at 5:15 p.m. Hope to see you there.