Raising awareness of federal earned income tax credit ATLANTA, GA (WABE) - During this tax filing season, politicians and community groups fear thousands of Georgians will not taking advantage of a federal credit.

Today, they tried to raise awareness.

WABE's Charles Edwards reports

The earned income tax credit, or EITC, was set up to offset social security taxes taken out of the paychecks of low and middle income families and individuals. Neal Wolin is Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Treasury.

WOLIN: "In the hands of American families, EITC benefits can help put food on the table, buy kids new clothes for school, fund a job training course or even add to a down payment on a car or a house."

Everyone's credit is different because it's based on income. Last year, the average in Georgia was 23 hundred dollars. It's a credit you claim when you file your taxes. However, 1 out of 4 people nationwide who qualify don't claim the credit.

And this year the credit could mean more money for some. Because of the federal stimulus bill, more people qualify. It has also increased the maximum amount of money a recipient could receive from the credit.

Charles Edwards, WABE News. © Copyright 2012, WABE