During these difficult economic times, America’s working families are struggling to make ends meet and they deserve relief — especially during tax season.  The Earned Income Tax Credit gives millions of working families the break they need, and thanks to the Recovery Act, more Americans will qualify for an even larger credit than ever before.  The Recovery Act expanded the Earned Income Tax Credit for larger families struggling to get by and cut the marriage penalty that millions of families face. But too many Americans are not aware that they qualify for the credit, so I urge people to visit www.irs.gov, where you can also learn more about other tax breaks available for working Americans this year.  

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On average, one in four eligible taxpayers fails to claim EITC.  Today, we’ll continue to spread the word about the credit and if you are eligible.  Nationally, community organizations sponsor 12,000 free tax help sites, staffed by IRS-trained volunteers. The IRS itself will have Saturday service tomorrow (Jan. 30) as well as two Saturdays in February at selected sites to help EITC taxpayers.  To learn more about these resources, please visit www.irs.gov.  In addition, IRS hosts Free File, a free software service that lets you prepare and e-file your federal tax return. See www.irs.gov/freefile for details.