{"id":115447,"date":"2026-01-28T19:38:25","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T19:38:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/115447\/"},"modified":"2026-01-28T19:38:25","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T19:38:25","slug":"eitc-awareness-day-celebrated-at-city-hall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/115447\/","title":{"rendered":"EITC Awareness Day Celebrated At City Hall"},"content":{"rendered":"

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New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), and Urban Upbound today celebrated Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Awareness Day at City Hall, highlighting the critical role free tax preparation plays in helping working families access the refunds they deserve. The event also marked 20 years of Urban Upbound\u2019s partnership with DCWP to provide free, high-quality tax preparation services to New Yorkers. Bishop Mitchell G. Taylor, CEO and Co- Founder of Urban Upbound at podium.<\/p>\n

New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, the Department of Consumer and Worker Protec\u00adtion (DCWP), and Urban Upbound today cele\u00adbrated Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Awareness Day at City Hall, highlighting the crit\u00adical role free tax preparation plays in helping work\u00ading families access the refunds they deserve. The event also marked 20 years of Urban Upbound\u2019s partnership with DCWP to provide free, high-qual\u00adity tax preparation services to New Yorkers.<\/p>\n

Urban Upbound\u2019s tax preparation program op\u00aderates at more than 50 locations across the five bor\u00adoughs, as well as online, through partnerships with community organizations, major institutions, and elected officials at the city, state, and federal levels. The program is made possible through Urban Up\u00adbound\u2019s participation in DCWP\u2019s NYC Tax Prep Coalition and the Internal Revenue Service\u2019s Vol\u00adunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, which together ensure services are accurate, acces\u00adsible, and free for all eligible New Yorkers.<\/p>\n

\"New<\/a><\/p>\n

New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), and Urban Upbound today celebrated Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Awareness Day at City Hall, highlighting the critical role free tax preparation plays in helping working families access the refunds they deserve. The event also marked 20 years of Urban Upbound\u2019s partnership with DCWP to provide free, high-quality tax preparation services to New Yorkers. Bishop Mitchell G. Taylor, CEO and Co-Founder of Urban Upbound speaking at podium.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor 20 years, Urban Upbound has helped working families keep more of what they earn,\u201d said Speaker Julie Menin. \u201cBy providing free, high-quality tax preparation, they\u2019ve put countless dollars back into the pockets of New Yorkers\u2014 money that can mean an extra meal, paying the rent, or investing in a child\u2019s future. These partner\u00adships are essential to fighting economic inequality and making New York City more affordable.\u201d Speaker Menin previously served as Commis\u00adsioner of the New York City Department of Con\u00adsumer Affairs, where she helped launch a citywide Earned Income Tax Credit initiative that returned more than $260 million to low-income New York\u00aders.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery year, \u2018NYC Free Tax Prep\u2019 saves New Yorkers tens of millions in tax preparation fees, while ensuring they can avoid predatory and expensive paid filing services,\u201d said DCWP Com\u00admissioner Sam Levine. \u201cWith trusted providers like Urban Upbound, with whom we have two decades of partnership, we offer vital tax prepara\u00adtion services to thousands of New Yorkers across the entire five boroughs. In 2025, if you earned $68,000 or less as an individual, or a family that earned less than $97,000, I urge you to file for free through NYC Free Tax prep and get your maxi\u00admum refund.\u201d<\/p>\n

Urban Upbound\u2019s tax prep program files taxes for New York households that earn $97,000 or less in a given year, and small businesses with $250,000 or less in expenses. With over 21,000 re\u00adturns filed and a 98.2% accuracy rate in 2025, Urban Upbound\u2019s tax preparation program is ranked as the top program of its kind in New York State and #3 in the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is one of the biggest tax breaks for working people. EITC puts money in the hands of hard-working taxpay\u00aders and can be a boost to their families and com\u00admunities,\u201d said George Adjetey, NYC Territory Manager of the IRS.<\/p>\n

Senator Chuck Schumer said, \u201cBishop Mitchell Taylor and Urban Upbound have made themselves indispensable resources for communi\u00adties across New York City for over two decades. Their free tax prep program provides an invaluable financial foundation for countless families. I am proud to support Urban Upbound, its 20th anniver\u00adsary of these vital services, and I am grateful that their work will continue for another 20 years.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am pleased to help qualifying constituents prepare and file their taxes for free by partnering with Urban Upbound,\u201d said Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-Queens). \u201cMembers of its team will be serving my district at my Forest Hills office during tax season, and I hope to announce the dates and times soon. I\u2019m excited to provide this impor\u00adtant service, and encourage constituents in need of assistance to take advantage of this no-cost tax preparation program.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the midst of an affordability crisis every single dollar saved counts, and Urban Upbound\u2019s free tax service has saved New Yorkers millions of dollars over the last twenty years,\u201d said Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris. \u201cI am proud to support organizations like Urban Upbound to pro\u00advide these essential services to New Yorkers, be\u00adcause every spare dollar that New Yorkers have earned deserves to be back in their own pockets.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOn Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Day, we are reminded that tax policy is not an ab\u00adstract concept\u2014it is about putting real dollars back into the hands of working families who need it most. For 20 years, Urban Upbound has been a na\u00adtional leader in delivering free, accurate, and ac\u00adcessible tax preparation services that help New Yorkers claim the refunds they\u2019ve earned. I am proud to partner with them to offer these services to eligible residents in my district. I commend NYC Council Speaker Julie Menin, Bishop Mitchell Taylor and Urban Upbound for their part\u00adnership and leadership in fighting economic in\u00adequality, strengthening financial stability, and ensuring that working families across our city can keep more of what they earn,\u201d said New York State Senator Leroy Comrie, District 14, Queens.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m grateful that Urban Upbound is launching this tax prep program as we prepare for New York\u00aders to complete their taxes. Financial literacy, ed\u00aducation, and support services are vital to ensuring that our neighbors can participate in our state\u2019s economy and fund our basic services. I invite our neighbors to go to their offices for help,\u201d said New York State Senator Kristen Gonzalez.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe government works best when we partner with trusted community organizations to deliver real relief. Urban Upbound\u2019s free tax preparation services ensure working families can access the credits they\u2019ve earned and keep more of their income in the community, where it makes the greatest impact,\u201d said New York State Assem\u00adblymember Larinda C. Hooks, District 35.<\/p>\n

\u201cI look forward to working with Urban Up\u00adbound again this year to provide free tax filing to my constituents. We will be offering this service every Friday, and encourage all interested appli\u00adcants to first call and make an appointment with my district office,\u201d said New York State Assem\u00adblymember Ron Kim.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the past several years, my office has proudly partnered with Urban Upbound to bring free, high-quality tax preparation directly to our community. Together, we\u2019ve helped hundreds of constituents in Woodside, Elmhurst, Maspeth, and Jackson Heights access the Earned Income Tax Credit and keep more of what they earn. These re\u00adfunds make a real difference for working families trying to cover rent, childcare, and everyday ex\u00adpenses. This tax season, Urban Upbound will again be offering free tax preparation across the city, in\u00adcluding both in-person locations and a virtual op\u00adtion. Make sure to check if you\u2019re eligible for their services today,\u201d said New York State Assembly\u00admember Steven Raga.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am honored to be here today to celebrate 20 years of tax preparation services provided by Urban Upbound, an organization that does so much for New York\u2019s working class. Two decades of offering free, high-quality tax assistance to low-income families and individuals is an achievement we can all be proud of and grateful for. Many con\u00adstituents in my Queens district rely on services like these, and there are at least two locations in my As\u00adsembly district that host Urban Upbound tax pre\u00adparers. It is difficult to imagine how many families would manage without this vital support. I com\u00admend Urban Upbound, particularly for the 21,000 tax returns filed in 2025 alone, and my office re\u00admains committed to supporting the organization\u2019s continued success,\u201d said New York State Assem\u00adblymember Jessica Gonz\u00e1lez-Rojas.<\/p>\n

\u201cTax filing season often brings stress, confu\u00adsion, and increased costs for New York families, who turn to online services that promise free serv\u00adice and then get charged hidden fees. But, Urban Upbound is here to help our families, as they cel\u00adebrate<\/p>\n

20 years of tax preparation. Urban Upbound continues to help low-income New Yorkers file their taxes for free and reduce that tax season stress for our families. I\u2019m proud that their program ex\u00adists and grateful to partner with them,\u201d said Coun\u00adcil Member Shekar Krishnan, District 25.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday we celebrate 20 years of Urban Up\u00adbound\u2019s free tax preparation program,\u201d said Coun\u00adcil Member Julie Won. \u201cLast year, Urban Upbound filed over 21,000 returns in 2025 with a 98 percent accuracy rate, helping families living in NYCHA\u2014such as Queensbridge, Ravenswood, and Woodside Houses in my district\u2014become fi\u00adnancially stable through the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, and other financial pro\u00adgrams. With the $225,327 in Council funding pro\u00advided by my office, Urban Upbound can continue to do the necessary tax preparation and other vital programming in my district.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe HANAC Adult Literacy program is very proud and privileged to partner with Urban Up\u00adbound because this organization offers free tax preparation to our adult learners who are under\u00adprivileged and live at the highest poverty levels. Without the assistance of Urban Upbound, our stu\u00addents wouldn\u2019t be able to afford to hire an account\u00adant to do their taxes for them. HANAC is very grateful,\u201d said Evthoxia Panos, Program Director of HANAC Adult Literacy Program<\/p>\n

Program Details:<\/p>\n

For 20 years, Urban Upbound has provided high-quality and free tax preparation and filing services to lower-income and working-class indi\u00adviduals and families. The process is simple and ac\u00adcessible: New Yorkers make an appointment at one of Urban Upbound\u2019s 50+ locations across the City or online via its virtual platform. The organiza\u00adtion\u2019s IRS-certified tax preparers then prepare and file the returns and help New Yorkers maximize their refund through credits such as the Earned In\u00adcome Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit. Addi\u00adtionally, over 22 languages and dialects are spoken by Urban Upbound\u2019s tax preparers.<\/p>\n

Urban Upbound can prepare and file taxes for New Yorkers earning $97,000 or less in a given year from any and all of the following: employ\u00adment income; self-employed\/gig workers\/free\u00adlancers; and entitlements. Urban Upbound also files taxes for small businesses of any structure, in\u00adcluding worker cooperatives, with $250,000 or less in yearly expenses.<\/p>\n

In 2025, Urban Upbound filed over 21,000 tax returns. The organization served New Yorkers residing in every single zip code in Queens, Man\u00adhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx, and most zip codes in Staten Island. Urban Upbound also achieved a 98.2% accuracy rate. With these stats, Urban Upbound retained the distinction of being the #1 tax preparer in the state of New York and the #3 preparer in the country, participating in the Free Tax Preparation in New York State and VITA program, respectively. In addition to support from DCWP and the IRS, the tax prep program also re\u00adceives support from elected officials at the city, state, and federal levels, America Works, Brooklyn and Queens Library, HANAC, Make the Road, New York City Health + Hospitals and MetroPlus Health, New York City Workforce1, Robin Hood, Sakhi for South Asian Survivors, the Shorefront Jewish Community Council, and Sunnyside Com\u00admunity Services.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), and Urban Upbound…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":115448,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[9,24,63,122,124,123],"class_list":{"0":"post-115447","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-queens","8":"tag-new-york","9":"tag-new-york-city","10":"tag-nyc","11":"tag-queens","12":"tag-queens-headlines","13":"tag-queens-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115447","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115447"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115447\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/115448"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115447"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115447"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115447"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}