Best practices — What we can learn from others

Help working taxpayers get the EITC they've earned. Here, you will find best practices from some of our partners

Share stories (sanitized to protect privacy) about customers who used their EITC to create assets
Promote the EITC as part of initiatives to support low to moderate income individuals, such as low-income asset building (Individual Development Accounts), and programs to reach unbanked taxpayers and those using non-banking financial companies (NBFC)
Electronically provide Publication 962, Life's a little easier with EITC PDF, to customers
Offer free financial literacy classes
Sponsor or participate in virtual or face-to-face financial fitness fairs

Feature EITC information on school’s financial aid website
Promote EITC to working students with children through virtual and actual bulletin boards, flyers, student newspapers, etc.
Electronically distribute EITC flyers such as IRS Publication 962, Life's a little easier with EITC PDF, to schools in low- to moderate-income areas
Promote EITC information at public events such as KIDS COUNT® conferences
Promote EITC as part of initiatives to support low- to moderate-income students, such as Upward Bound and Educational Opportunity Centers programs
Offer incentives to students volunteering at free income tax assistance sites
Offer incentives to accounting students making community presentations about EITC and other tax benefits for low-income taxpayers
Offer incentives to advertising and marketing students creating outreach and awareness campaigns for local EITC coalitions

Include EITC messages with public assistance checks or tribal payments
Include EITC messages with Forms 1099 issued for tax refunds, unemployment compensation, miscellaneous income, etc.
Include EITC messages in state, county and municipal employees' Forms W-2
Coordinate EITC communication activities among state, regional, county, municipal and tribal agencies
Collaborate with other partners to promote state and municipal earned income tax credits, where applicable, in conjunction with the federal credit
Place EITC information on public transportation vehicles and at bus stops
Encourage public utilities to include EITC messages in the bills for peak usage months
Engage incumbent politicians’ first spouses in communication activities

Coordinate with local EITC coalitions
Work with children's advocacy groups and legal services agencies to promote EITC to their clients
Make EITC a part of asset building workshops
Host educational events for human resources personnel
Partner with philanthropic organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, etc.
Coordinate informational fairs and other educational events to spread the word
Create and place EITC doorknob hangers on homes in low-income neighborhoods