Issue
Committee (W & I EITC) Meeting Minutes
June 16, 2005
Teleconference
Panel Members in Attendance
- Robert Broniarczyk, Romeoville, IL
- Gwen Handelman, Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Cheyanna Jaffke, Placentia, CA
- Thomas Karwin, Santa Cruz, CA
- Leslie Malcolmson, Detroit, MI
- Robert Maziarz, Hainesport, NJ
- Jack Morrell, Mandan, ND
- Al Vivona, Sarasota, FL
- Nan Wilson, Overland Park, KS
Panel Members Absent
- Jim Banks, Bozeman, MT
- Elizabeth Brodine Ghoniem, Winchester, MA
- Philip Cimino, Staten Island, NY
- Morgan Edwards, Charlotte, NC
- Joe Reder, Richland, WA
- Charles Wendt, Iola, TX
- Beadsie Woo, Durham, NC
Quorum
Quorum met
TAP and IRS Staff in Attendance
- Alisa Blum, Project Manager, EITC Stakeholder Engagement,
Washington, DC
- Audrey Y. Jenkins, TAP Program Analyst, Brooklyn, NY
- Robert Mattingly, Policy Analyst, EITC Office Systems
Oper., Washington, DC
- Sandra Ramirez, Designated Federal Official, Brooklyn,
NY
Public Participants
- Kim Glassman, National Women’s Law Center, Washington,
DC
- Amy Matsui, National Women’s Law Center, Washington,
DC
- Gretchen Bowman, Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, Cleveland,
OH
- Susan Morgenstern, Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, Cleveland,
OH
- Stephanie Sykes, Center on Budget & Policy Priorities,
Washington, DC
Opening of the Meeting
Malcolmson opened the meeting at 2:07pm ET, welcomed all members,
staff and guests.
Approval of Meeting Minutes
The May 6-7 face to face meeting minutes were forwarded to
the July 16th meeting pending edits to the Rural Outreach
portion. The Rural Outreach presentation was extremely similar
to the suggestions sent forward to the EITC program in September
of 2004 from the Committee. The committee members feel they
should be properly credited.
The May 19th meeting minutes were approved by consensus.
Review of Prior Meeting Action Items
Jenkins
- Write up a cover letter for the EITC Preparer Letter
and TIPS for Choosing a Preparer Letter - completed
- Forward the finished products to the EITC Office - completed
Malcolmson
- Finalize the cover letter for the EITC Preparer Letter
and TIPS for Choosing a Preparer Letter - completed
There was an email sent out in regard to developing a package
for new EITC members to be distributed at the annual meeting.
Although the Communication Committee is working on the annual
meeting, a sub-committee will be developed at the July meeting
to work on EITC specific issues. Please begin sending your
suggestions. At the upcoming annual meeting, there will be
full committee meetings and the first committee teleconference
will not be deferred until January. It was suggested that
the returning members be given preference in issue committees.
Program Owner Presentation-Robert Mattingly
The EITC Assistant is a web based application to assist taxpayers
in determining whether they are eligible for the EITC and
a possible credit amount. The EITC Assistant was launched
in tax year 2004 and can be located at; http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=130102,00.html
It is available in both English and Spanish and was launched
in tax year 2004. There will be active versions of the EITC
Assistant for each year that a taxpayer may file an original
or amended return. The EITC office is currently in the process
of updating it for the 2005 tax season.
The committee was sent a power point presentation both via
email as well as snail mail. Mattingly walked the committee
through the EITC Assistant using the following scenario:
- Frank Williams is 35 years old. He is married but legally
separated. He has been living apart from his wife for the
past 7 months in a house that he pays for. He lives with
his foster child. Frank currently works at a grocery store.
Earlier this year, he spent two months fighting in the war
in Iraq. Frank has little knowledge of the EITC and is curious
if he qualifies.
The committee walked through the Assistant screen by screen.
- They chose which language they wanted to use - English
Version or Versi’on en Espan’ol.
- Should I Apply? - Find out if you are eligible for the
EITC by answering a few simple questions and providing basic
income information.
- Tips and Guidance for Determining Eligibility –
you will need SSN and W2
- Basic Information – SSN, US Citizen/resident alien,
investment income and earned income
- Filing Status – choose one that applies or request
assistance
- Your Home – provide the cost of keeping up a home
- Filing Method – filing joint or file separately
- Head of Household – paid more than half of the
cost of keeping up a home, unmarried or legally separated
- Are You a Qualifying Child? – being claimed by
someone else
- Children-Qualifying Children – the three test are
relationship, age and residency
- Income Estimate – helps to estimate my total Income
and Adjusted Gross Income
- Income Amounts – enter your income in the boxes
provided
- Adjustments to Income – enter income such as wages,
interest, pensions and alimony paid to you reduced by specific
adjustments, IRA deductions as well as alimony paid by you
- Income Results – based on the amounts you input
- Results – based on the information you provided,
you may be eligible to claim the EITC and your credit amount
could be $.
Action Items
Blum
- Email Jenkins the preliminary 2004 Certification Test
data for distribution
- Email Jenkins the 2nd interim 2003 EITC Report to Congress
- Email the Booze Allen discussion notes
Jenkins
- Send hard copies to the committee of the 2003 EITC Report
to Congress
- Send 2004 Certification Test data to the Kim Glassman
Kim Glassman, National Women’s Law
Center, Washington, DC—thanked committee for allowing
her to attend and would like to receive both the 2003 EITC
Report to Congress and the 2004 Certification Test data.
Gretchen Bowman, Legal Aid Society of Cleveland,
Cleveland, OH—thought the presentation was interesting
and would also like to receive both the 2003 EITC Report to
Congress and the 2004 Certification Test data.
Round Robin
All members thought it was a very informative meeting.
Next Meeting Thursday, July 21, 2005 @ 2:00pm ET |
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