It’s that time of year again. The snow is (almost) melting, and the days are getting longer. It’s also time for Mainers to file their taxes. While no one enjoys filing their taxes, I hope to share some information that can help you through this process. This can be a stressful time of year, but I want to help make this tax filing season a little easier — and make sure that you get as much of your money back as possible.

When you file your taxes, I hope that you know about the Maine Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The EITC is a work credit that may give you money back at tax time or lower the federal taxes you owe. The main requirement is that you must earn money from a job. Beginning this tax filing season, the Maine EITC is equal to 20 percent of the Federal EITC — a refund of $1,345. In addition to people who qualify for the Federal EITC, the Maine EITC may apply to people who filed a federal income tax return by using an individual taxpayer identification number (for those who do not have a Social Security number). It may also apply to 18- to 24-year-olds who have no qualifying children. The Maine EITC is refundable for Maine residents as well as part-year residents. To claim the Maine EITC, please file Form 1040ME, Schedule A, and the Worksheet for Earned Income Tax Credit, which can be found online at www.maine.gov/revenue/tax-return-forms. If you need help, you can contact Maine Revenue Services at (207) 626-8475 or income.tax@maine.gov on weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon.

Now that we’ve covered the EITC, I want to share information about a service that can help you file your taxes — without charging you a fee. That’s right, CA$H Maine can help eligible Mainers file their taxes for free. In order to qualify for free assistance, your household’s combined income for the year must be $58,000 or less. You can’t have any unusual types of income, such as farm income, rental property or self-employment with more than $35,000 in expenses. No one in your household could have lived or worked outside of Maine in 2021. The dedicated and skilled volunteers at CA$H Maine will help you find out if you qualify for the Maine EITC and the Child Tax Credit, as well as other tax credits. Taken together, just these two credits can be worth up to $6,728. Many Maine residents are eligible for the Maine Property Tax Fairness Credit and the Maine Sales Tax Fairness Credit, too. To get started, please visit cashmaine.org/free-tax-prep or contact the York County CA$H Coalition (YCCC). York County Community Action’s Meaghan Arzberger, who helps with YCCC, can be reached at (207) 459-6728. YCCAC’s tax line is (207) 324-5762, ext. 2718.

As I wrap up, I also want to encourage everyone to go online and see if they have unclaimed property that is being held by the Office of the Treasurer. This month, Treasurer Henry Beck announced that the Treasury has $17.6 million in new unclaimed property. This is money, such as overpaid bills or uncollected wages, which the Treasury wants to give back to Mainers. To claim the money, please go to maineunclaimedproperty.gov and search for your name.

As always, please feel free to contact me with your questions. If you need assistance, you can contact my office at (207) 287-1515 or email me at Donna.Bailey@legislature.maine.gov. It’s an honor to serve you in Augusta.