United Way of Connecticut and their partners’ Get Your Refund CT Campaign helped more than 400 Connecticut families receive more than $500,000 in unclaimed COVID relief money
“I received a notice in the mail from the IRS that I was behind in filing my taxes and I didn’t know where to go or what to do,” shares Samantha Rosado, who lives in Waterbury. “I was worried that I owed money to the IRS. Then, I found out about the free tax preparation day at Silas Bronson Library and made an appointment to have my taxes done. They took great care of me and told me that I would be getting a refund. They even made me aware of additional documents that I could obtain to get even more money back. I am so thankful to have this program available that provides trained IRS tax preparers, at no cost to me, that I can trust.”
Samantha’s story is true for so many families in Connecticut who are working hard but may not be tapping into all the financial resources they are owed. These low-income taxpayers are eligible for several tax credits, including the Federal Earned Income and Child Tax Credits, but these credits for the 2021 tax year expire on April 15, 2025. In fact, IRS data conservatively estimates that more than $120 million is left on the table each year in unclaimed federal Earned Income Tax Credits that could have benefitted nearly 45,000 lower-income Connecticut households.
That’s why from September to November 2024 United Way of Connecticut and their partners pre-empted the busy 2025 tax season and launched Get Your Refund CT — a state-wide outreach campaign aimed at helping families claim the 2021 enhanced tax benefits they are owed.
Like Samantha, more than 400 filers worked with IRS-certified, free tax preparation services to receive more than $500,000 in unclaimed cash benefits. “While this may seem like a small drop in a big bucket, it is a start,” says Amy Casavina Hall, Senior Vice President of Partnerships, Development and Communications at United Way of Connecticut. ”The goal of this Campaign was to raise awareness about the opportunity and to attract first-time filers who are generally concerned that filing taxes might impact their government benefits (SNAP, Section 8, TANF, etc.), immigration status, worries about money owed/fines for not filing or a general distrust of government.”
Although the Campaign has ended, it is important to note that many of these Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) professionals work year-round to help file back taxes, and more will be available to help in January for the 2025 tax season. Spanish language assistance is also available.
Filers can also pre-register for free tax preparation appointments at ctunitedway.org/getyourrefund or, beginning Monday, January 13, filers can call 2-1-1, press “Option 3” then “Option 6” to be connected to and schedule free tax filing appointments.
In addition to VITA, for the first time IRS Direct File is available to Connecticut residents this year. Direct File is an intuitive, interview-based tax preparation software that guides taxpayers step-by-step through the filing process. It is available in English and Spanish, with live chat support from IRS agents in both languages. Designed with a mobile-first approach, Direct File provides a seamless user experience for both phone and desktop users. To see if you are eligible, click here.
Juan Berrios, Executive Director of SimplifyCT, explains, “It is important for families who are eligible for services through VITA or Direct File to access these services, free of charge, and maximize their refunds! Local partners throughout the State will be available to help you file the credits you are entitled to no matter which path you choose.”
The Get Your Refund CT Campaign is a partnership between United Way of Connecticut, SimplifyCT, other VITA partners (Advancing Connecticut Together (ACT), The Village for Children and Families, Human Resources Agency (HRA) of New Britain and United Ways of Central and Northeastern CT, Coastal and Western CT, Greater New Haven and Greater Waterbury), with funding from the CT Office of Early Childhood and The Connecticut Project.
