Hunger Awareness Month: Three reasons why Just Harvest does taxes

I often am asked the question, “why is an anti-hunger organization running a free tax-filing program?” Though it may not seem logical at first, it turns out that filing a tax return (or 2,500 tax returns in a season) is a very effective way to fight hunger.

1) The primary way our tax sites fight hunger is by helping low income workers access the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The EITC is the nation’s largest anti-poverty program because it directly boosts the wages of low income workers.

In fact, 35% of the EITC-eligible taxpayers we served increased their annual income by more than 20%. That’s a family with an annual income of $10,000 receiving a $2,000 EITC as a refund on their tax return.

A family with $12,000 instead of $10,000 is much less likely to be hungry. Nearly one in three of our clients report they will spend part of their refund to buy food for their family.

2) Now, it’s true that people could get the EITC without our help. All that’s required is filing a tax return.

If you’ve filed a tax return lately, you probably know that it can get complicated. If you’ve paid someone to file a return, you know that it can be expensive.

Partially because of the big influx of cash available through the EITC, low-income workers are often prey to unscrupulous businesses trying to get a piece of that refund. Whether it’s through fees for preparing the return or for getting your refund faster, or by filing your return at a car dealership and using the refund for a down payment, some of the EITC is not getting into the pockets of those who need it most.

At Just Harvest we ensure that families keep their entire refund so they can use it for what they need most.

3) A third way our tax sites fight hunger is by enlisting the help of volunteers. Over 100 volunteers sat down next to a low-income taxpayer week after week and saw a clear and often stark picture of their financial situation.

The volunteers may have come to us seeking to learn about taxes, but along the way they’ve also learned about hunger and poverty. That’s a lesson we hope will stick with them when they talk to their neighbors, vote in elections, or choose how to spend their own money.

Just Harvest advocates for a fairer tax system