PHILADELPHIA, January 29, 2025 — The Mayor’s Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity (CEO) officially launched its annual “Claim Your Money Philly” Campaign. For the past six years, CEO, with the support of several nonprofit community partners, has implemented a robust communications and support strategy to help ensure Philadelphians file for the Federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC). The campaign works to remove barriers to filing and provide the information, confidence, and free resources—including tax preparation and filing services—needed to motivate Philadelphians to claim the money they are owed.
Motivating more people to file stands to make a significant impact on Philadelphia residents. It’s estimated that more than 40,000 Philadelphians annually miss out on claiming their federal EITC refund, which averages $2,250 and may be as high as $7,830.
Eligible parents or guardians of children under age 17 can receive up to $2,000 per child through the federal CTC. In addition, eligible taxpayers can file or amend returns for the 2021, 2022, and 2023 credits if they haven’t done so already. CTC expires after 2025, raising the question if taxes will go up for families next year. The hope of advocates like CEO and its partners is that anticipated White House and Congressional tax-legislation negotiations will re-establish the CTC.
“Refunds available from the EITC and CTC belong in the hands of our friends, family, and neighbors—not in the accounts of the federal government,” said Cherelle L. Parker, Mayor City of Philadelphia. “CEO and its partners are doing tremendous work to help our neighbors recognize they deserve this money and give them the means to claim it. The more Philadelphians we can support in filing for EITC and CTC, the more we do to build their financial strength and contribute to thriving communities throughout our city.”
The “Claim Your Money Philly” Campaign reinforces that Philadelphians do not have to pay to claim their EITC and CTC. CEO and its partners—Campaign for Working Families, Ceiba, and Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation—work to ensure free tax preparation and filing services are accessible to and utilized by target populations throughout the city. Qualified experts are available from the campaign’s community partners, who currently have more than a dozen locations open in Philadelphia. In addition, virtual tax preparation sessions are available, and pop-up in-person opportunities will become available in February and March. CEO also partners with more than twenty community organizations across the city to spread the word about the campaign.
“We urge all Philadelphians to consider what they could do with an extra $2,000, $4,000, or more this year—whether they use it to make ends meet during a lean month, cover an unexpected expense, or help pay for something special like a family night out,” said Orlando Rendon, Executive Director, City of Philadelphia Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity. “No one should rule out the possibility that they may have EITC or CTC money coming their way. Leverage ‘Claim Your Money Philly’s’ free services to confirm your eligibility and, if you are eligible, to file by April 15.”
Eligibility and other key information
To be eligible for EITC, an individual must:
Have a valid social security number
Be at least 25 years old but under 65 if they have no dependents; if a person is outside this age range, they still may be eligible if they claim dependents.
Have earned less than $59,899 in 2024 if they are single
Eligibility information for CTC
In addition to parents and guardians, grandparents, adoptive parents, foster parents, and others may qualify if they can claim a child as a dependent.
Each child must have a social security number.
A child must not have surpassed their 17th birthday in 2024.Eligibility may be granted to parents, grandparents, adoptive parents, foster parents, and others.
CTC may still be available to a parent/guardian even if they didn’t earn enough to file taxes.
To clarify concerns expressed by some residents, CEO emphasizes that for both EITC and CTC, the money a person receives does not have to be repaid, and there are no conditions on how it can be spent. In addition, if a family receives money from CTC, it will not impact eligibility for other benefits such as SNAP or Medicaid.
The filing deadline for 2024 EITC and CTC—as well as new or amended returns for 2021, 2022, and 2023—is April 15. However, CEO encourages Philadelphians to file as soon as possible.
More information on EITC and CTC eligibility, potential credit available, and connecting with free support and tax preparation/filing services in Philadelphia is available at claimyourmoneyphl.com.
About the Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity
The City of Philadelphia Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity (CEO) is the Community Action Agency (CAA) for Philadelphia. As a CAA since 1964, the agency has a unique role in promoting racial equity, greater financial stability, and self-sufficiency for the city’s most vulnerable populations. CEO’s mission is to ensure that all Philadelphians can share in the city’s prosperous future, regardless of race or where they were born. CEO advocates for, invests in, and holds gatherings around programs, policies, and initiatives that advance benefits access, financial empowerment, housing security, and workforce development. As a CAA, the office awards grant funding to organizations that serve thousands of Philadelphians each year and supports support and coordinates with other City agencies and institutions with similar goals.
