Dear Editor:

Did you know that if you are paying for child or dependent care, you may be entitled to receive extra money in your tax refund? Or pay less if you owe taxes?

This is important to know as W-2s go out on Jan. 31 and families begin preparing and filing their taxes.

It’s all part of a series of tax credits from the federal government and the State of Ohio to help low-to-moderate income families.

Eligible families could claim more than $9,900 through these four programs on their 2007 state and federal tax forms — if they meet all the requirements.

The Ohio Tax Credit for Child and Dependent Care and the federal Child and Dependent Care program each provide up to $2,100 in tax assistance for working parents’ costs for child and dependent care.

Another $4,716 can potentially be claimed on tax forms through the federal Earned Income Tax Credit program to help increase the wages of qualified families.

And to help ease the cost of raising children, up to $1,000 per child can be claimed through the federal Child Tax Credit program.

Families must file a tax return in order to claim these benefits but it’s not too late even if you’ve already filed. You can file amended forms to claim these expenses.

As the statewide association for child care resource and referral agencies, the Ohio Child Care Resource & Referral Association (OCCRRA) is working to inform all working families about these benefits that may be available to them.

Learn more about the tax credits and locations for free tax help at www.occrra.org, or call the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) directly at 800-829-1040.

Chris Stoneburner

Executive Director, Ohio Child Care

Resource & Referral Association