A New PHI Initiative

Earn, Keep, Save, MORE is PHI Michigan’s new initiative to improve
the income of all direct-care workers serving Michigan residents using
long-term care supports and services. The initiative focuses on the
federal earned income tax credit (EITC) and new Michigan earned income
tax credit (EITC) beginning in the 2008 tax season.

For tax year 2008, a working family may be entitled to as much as
$4,824 for the federal EITC and as much as $482 in state EITC. In tax
years 2009 and beyond, the Michigan EITC will be 20% of the family’s
federal EITC refund.

In addition to promoting filing for the tax credits, we want to
explain and promote the advantages of using one of the hundreds of free
tax-preparation services located across the state, the volunteer
opportunities at the free tax-preparation sites, the disadvantages of
taking out “loans” from commercial preparers to get a refund “sooner,”
and the tools that low-income families can use to build a stronger
financial future.

PHI Michigan will work intensively with Michigan’s existing regional and state tax assistance coalitions (www.michiganeic.org) and the broad long-term care community to insure that all money belonging to the LTC workforce is claimed.

We will be developing a “tool kit” for use by the broad long-term
care community to promote tax returns that claim all credits and
deductions as a way to increase wages and to connect employers,
consumers, and workers to the local EITC coalitions and the free
preparation sites. These resources include: