About the Campaign

Connecting families to tax credits, public benefits, and ways to keep and grow their household incomes.

The Marketplace

The end of 2006 ushered in two new types of RALs, called Holiday and Pay Stub RALs. These new loans are calculated from pay stubs and are expected to be repaid from a tax filer’s anticipated tax refund. They are both evil and exploitative, sapping even more money from low-income workers and posing additional consumer risks because they are based on estimated, not actual earnings.

Philadelphia's Campaign for Working Families results,Year Five

(January – April 2007):

Over the past five years, more than $86 milllion was brought to low and moderate income working families in Philadelphia.

This amount includes the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), child tax credit, dependent care credit, and PA TAX BACK.

One hundred percent of the refunds went directly to the tax filers; 90% of returns filed electronically.

Tax returns were filed for over 12,500 individuals.

Demographics of tax filers:

• 75% African American

• 12% Latino/Hispanic

• 8% Caucasian

• 2% Asian/ Pacific Islander

Tax sites were staffed by 386 IRS-certified volunteers, recruited by United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Volunteers prepared and e-filed 11,147 tax returns and brought $20.3 million in state and federal refunds to working families through the operation of 17 free tax sites, located in neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia.

According to the IRS, the Campaign reached 9 million people through its telephone information line, mailings, workshops, the media, and other outreach.