Atlanta mayor launches campaign to inform lower income taxpayers

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms launched a public awareness campaign on Wednesday to inform low-income taxpayers about the Earned Income Tax Credit.

“The Earned Income Tax Credit, EITC or EIC, is a benefit for working people with low to moderate income,” according to the Internal Revenue Service website.

To qualify, you must file a tax return, even if you do not owe any tax.

This year, a family of three or more making roughly $56,000 can claim an Earned Income Tax Credit as high as $6,557 if they file jointly as a married couple.

But the credit is notorious for being unclaimed. Bottoms said she planned on sponsoring television, radio and newspaper advertisements to inform city residents about the credit.

“Obviously we want our residents to have more money in their pockets,” Bottoms said. “But also very selfishly, when people have more money in their pockets quite often they spend more money.”

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