City launches push to help Angelenos claim Earned Income Tax Credit; free tax preparation offered at 19 Family Source centers

Los Angeles officials on Jan. 31 promoted expanded outreach to help working families claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and child tax credits and announced free tax-preparation services at Family Source centers across the city.

Councilmember Soto Martinez introduced a resolution recognizing EITC Awareness Day and said many eligible residents do not claim credits each year, leaving billions unclaimed. “All we need to do is get it into people's pockets,” he said, urging councilmembers to connect with the Community Investment for Families Department (CIFD) to host district events and outreach.

CIFD General Manager Abigail Marquez said the city operates 19 Family Source centers and coordinates with 45 countywide locations, offering free tax-prep services to households earning under $67,000. She described a citywide outreach campaign that includes a “Super Saturday” where centers will offer services across the city, pop-up events in districts without a permanent Family Source center, multilingual staff trained by the IRS, and planned advertising on bus shelters and benches.

Marquez provided program figures: last year 17,000 Angelenos filed at 45 locations countywide with an average tax return of $2,500; over the last nine years the program has helped about 100,000 people and brought roughly $150,000,000 back into the local economy. She urged councilmembers to promote the service and connect constituents to CIFD staff.

Resident testimony

Dacia Canales, who said she has three children and uses services at a nearby New Economics for Women/Family Source site, described receiving about $5,000 in tax credits in recent years and said the payments helped her pay rent, buy food and open savings accounts for her children. “This has helped me a lot,” she said.

Why it matters: EITC and related credits are a major anti-poverty tool. City-run free tax-preparation and outreach programs aim to increase uptake of credits and put federal dollars into local households and businesses.

How to access: CIFD will run Super Saturday events and pop-ups; eligibility, languages and locations are provided by CIFD and community partners including New Economics for Women. The department said it will coordinate outreach with council offices to ensure wider awareness of the program.