Dear LaGuardia Community,
When tax filing season rolls around I am always reminded about something unfortunate and frustrating – the fact that every year low-income and working-class New Yorkers fail to claim some $2 billion in federal cash assistance for which they are qualified. This is mostly because they don’t receive the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), and corresponding state and local credits, because they don’t claim these benefits on their returns or don’t file tax returns at all. All that money just stays in the Federal Treasury instead of coming to our communities.
It is very important that members of the LaGuardia community, especially our students and their families, who are eligible for the EITC file their returns and receive these benefits in addition to any refunds they may get. The good news is that the LaGuardia CARES team, in collaboration with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, offers free weekly virtual tax preparation to students, faculty, staff, and the general public until April 13th. Please inform students of the importance of filing their tax returns and receiving the cash benefits for which they are qualified. Here is a helpful article with lots of information about this subject. For more information, visit the LaGuardia CARES website.
Thank you,
Kenneth Adams
President
Rhonda Mouton
Director, LaGuardia CARES