February 3, 2021 - SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday issued a proclamation declaring January 29, 2021, through February 5, 2021, as CalEITC Awareness Week.

The text of the proclamation is below:

PROCLAMATION

The California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC), a refundable tax credit enacted in 2015, is one of the most effective tools we have to fight poverty in California. Research shows that the Earned Income Tax Credit can improve child and maternal health and spur local economic growth. Children in families that receive the EITC perform better in both the short- and the long-term. The California Earned Income Tax Credit helps families improve their financial stability now and into the future.

Indeed, California has invested in the EITC because it works. In 2019, our state took action to significantly expand the program. By growing our investment to $1 billion, we helped Californians become more financially secure. The Young Child Tax Credit was also made available to all CalEITC-eligible families with children under 6. In 2020, the CalEITC was expanded to include those filing with Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITIN) to ensure undocumented and mixed status families have more equitable access to financial resources. And in this year’s Budget proposal, as a supplement to the federal stimulus, the Golden State Stimulus would put an additional $600 directly into the pockets of the more than 4 million CalEITC recipients, including those with Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) who are eligible.

However, despite these clear benefits for families and our economy, hundreds of thousands of Californians do not claim the federal EITC each year, leaving a reported $1.9 billion on the table. Outreach and increased awareness about the federal and state EITC can ensure more California households take advantage of this critical support. Approximately 4 million Californians are expected to be eligible for the CalEITC this tax year, and the state wants to make sure they know that these critical resources are in reach, especially as families struggle with the additional impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

I encourage all Californians, regardless of their immigration status, to check if they qualify for the CalEITC or Young Child Tax Credit by visiting ftb.ca.gov/caleitc. Eligible tax filers can even learn how to get their taxes prepared for free through a local Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site.

NOW THEREFORE I, GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim January 29, 2021, through February 5, 2021, as “CalEITC Awareness Week.”

Source: Office of the Governor