EITC Estimator:
New Tool Estimates How Much EITC Is Left Unclaimed for Your Place

Did you ever wonder just how many families there are out there that don’t claim the EITC but should? We’ve all heard the IRS estimates that about one quarter of all qualifying families fail to claim the EITC—but how does it really play out in your place?

One rural program that asked itself this question developed a handy little tool to answer it. The “EITC Estimator” created by West Central Initiative in Fergus Falls Minnesota can help you calculate an estimate of how many dollars in EITC credits are not claimed in you area. It gives you an idea of just how far your EITC promotion efforts have come, and how far your families have to go in collecting the EITC due to them.

Using easy to find Census and IRS data it works at the city, county, state, and even the zip-code level to give you an estimate of how much your families may be missing. The tool even provides you with links to the online places you can find the six numbers you need to make it work. It’s all in the form of an Excel spreadsheet, so just about anyone can use it.

A little disclaimer is due here. No one, including the creator of this tool, claims that it provides a perfect picture of what’s happening with EITC in your community. Even so, the estimate it provides can be a very useful way to gauge your progress and your potential impact.

To try out this tool, download the Excel file here.

The Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group (CSG) | One Dupont Circle, NW | Suite 700 | Washington, DC 20036