Committee unanimously passes Sen. Vitelli bill to help more Mainers access tax assistance

AUGUSTA — On Thursday, the Legislature’s Taxation Committee voted in favor of a bill from Sen. Eloise Vitelli, D-Arrowsic, to help more Mainers get the most out of their tax return by providing support to CA$H Maine. LD 1651, “An Act To Support Working Families through Outreach and Education about Tax Credits for Persons of Low Income,” received a unanimous, bipartisan vote of 8-0 with five members absent. 

“Maine is fortunate to have CA$H Maine and their dedicated volunteers, who help so many residents of our state file taxes and connect with other financial services. I believe the state should make it a priority to help this organization and its work as much as we can,” said Sen. Vitelli. “With this bill, more hardworking Mainers will get the assistance and tax refunds they’re entitled to.”

As amended, LD 1651 would make financial tools, education and resources available to more Mainers by providing funding to CA$H Maine.

“Central to CA$H Maine’s services is free tax preparation. From 2003-2020 CA$H Maine has filed more than 53,000 federal and state tax returns and helped clients claim more than $80 million worth of federal tax refunds including more than $28 million in Earned Income Tax Credit,” said Janet Smith with CA$H Maine, in testimony supporting the bill.

Though the EITC is worth an average of $2,107, each year about 20 percent of eligible Mainers fail to take advantage of it. That’s money left on the table, thanks in large part to a lack of awareness and the complexities of eligibility, with one-third of the EITC eligible population changing every year.

The bill is also supported by United Way of Maine and Maine Equal Justice.

LD 1651 faces votes in the Senate and the House.