The city of Philadelphia launched the “Claim Your Money Philly” initiative for the sixth year in a row in the hope that more Philadelphians will file their taxes and get their owed refunds.
The city of Philadelphia is launching a campaign to reach residents who, officials said, missed out on at least $2,000 last tax season.
The campaign is called "Claim Your Money Philly" and is focused on the importance of filing for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC).
Officials want taxpayers to take advantage of free tax prep sites across the city and claim the credits they are due.
The program was launched six years ago by the Philly mayor's Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity and with the help of nonprofits, offers tax preparation and filing services to make it easier for Philadelphians.
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The city said that the average federal tax refund is $2,250 and can even be as high as $7,830.
To be eligible for the Federal Earned Income Tax Credit you must:
- Have a valid social security number
- Be at least 25 years old but under 65, if you have no dependents; if you are outside this age range, you still may be eligible if you claim dependents.
- Have earned less than $59,899 in 2024 if you are single
To be eligible for the Child Tax Credit:
- In addition to parents and guardians, grandparents, adoptive parents, foster parents, and others may qualify if they can claim a child as a dependent.
- Each child must have a social security number.
- A child must not have surpassed their 17th birthday in 2024.
- Eligibility may be granted to parents, grandparents, adoptive parents, foster parents, and others.
- CTC may still be available to a parent/guardian even if they didn’t earn enough to file taxes.
The city emphasized that if you get a refund when filing taxes, you do not need to pay back the amount. Any refunds will not impact SNAP or Medicaid benefits.
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The deadline to file is April 15, but city leaders urge every Philadelphian to file as soon as possible.
For more information from Philadelphia on filing taxes, click here.
For more information on tax filing assistance in New Jersey, click here.
For more information on tax filing assistance in Delaware, click here.
To search for free tax prep help by your zip code, click here.