ORLANDO – With more than 386,000 Central Florida households struggling to pay for housing, utilities, food and other critical necessities, Heart of Florida United Way (HFUW) is helping qualified residents claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The IRS estimates that approximately 20% of taxpayers who qualify for the EITC never claim it, costing them potentially thousands of dollars. EITC also provides a significant boost to the Central Florida economy, where more than $2.95 million in refunds were received in 2024 alone throughout Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties.
To ensure that residents receive the full amount they are entitled to, Heart of Florida United Way is working with community partners to offer 18 FREE tax preparation sites that will be available starting Feb. 3 until April 29 through a partnership with the IRS’ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA). For individual site opening dates and times, please visit www.HFUW.org or call 211 Information & Referral Helpline. Tax credits that VITA volunteers help residents find help to reduce debt, enroll in job training, save for a home, pay for car repairs or use in any way they see fit.
“We have sites available throughout our tri-county service area to accommodate every resident via traditional sit-down tax preparation and even virtual tax preparation, ” said Vanessa Brundidge, Financial Stability Initiatives Manager for Heart of Florida United Way. “Filing at a VITA site not only allows you to file your taxes for FREE, but our IRS-certified volunteers are trained to explain credits like EITC to clients and make sure residents receive the maximum eligible amount.”
To qualify for EITC, recipients must have earned income at any time in 2024 and meet the guidelines for maximum income. In some cases, people may be eligible to receive up to $20,000 by re-filing tax returns for the past three years. This year, EITC credits range from $632 to $7,830 for tax year 2023, depending on the number of dependents.
Among other qualifying factors, 2024 income cannot exceed:
• $18,591 with no qualifying children ($25,511 if married and filing jointly)
• $49,084 with one qualifying child ($56,004 if married and filing jointly)
• $55,768 with two qualifying children ($62,688 if married and filing jointly)
• $59,899 with three or more qualifying children ($66,819 if married and filing jointly)
“Because people in need often file early, and at great expense through commercial tax preparation services, United Way wants to spread the word that free help is available,” said Jeff Hayward, President & CEO of Heart of Florida United Way. “An extra $7,830 can make a huge difference to a family dealing with job loss, foreclosure or generally struggling to make ends meet. And because most EITC dollars are spent right here in our local community, local merchants and businesses also benefit.”
Reflecting continued community need, calls to United Way’s 211 Information & Referral Helpline – Central Florida’s free, 24-hour, multilingual information and referral call center – demonstrated the financial fragility of local families, particularly relating to housing. In 2024, nearly 132,000 tri-county area residents called, texted, emailed or live chatted with 211 for assistance. Requests for rent and housing assistance accounted for 40% of the contacts and utilities assistance 18%.
“Many in our community are struggling to keep up with the cost of living and this program alleviates a lot of the stress families face during tax season,” continued Hayward. “If you earned less than $73,000 last year, don’t pay $200 to file your return. Go to a VITA site, claim valuable credits like EITC, and keep your hard-earned money for paying down a debt, starting an emergency fund or investing in your future.”
For more information about EITC, visit www.hfuw.org, dial 211 or visit www.irs.gov. Visit www.HFUW.org to learn more about Heart of Florida United Way.
