Governor Steve Beshear and Lieutenant Governor Jerry Abramson are urging Kentuckians to apply for the earned income tax credit.

Governor Beshear says thousands of low to middle-income Kentuckians are eligible for assistance.

Beshear made the announcement as part of National Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Day, and launched his annual campaign to urge eligible Kentuckians to apply for the tax credit. 

Officials say the E-I-T-C is a refundable federal tax credit for low- and middle-income working individuals and families.

The governor was quoted as saying that despite being employed, many hardworking Kentuckians and their families face financial struggles and this credit is a valuable resource they can use to help buy food and clothes, pay bills and more.

In 2011, Kentuckians filed nearly 401,000 EITC claims for a total of more than $905 million in benefits statewide.

According to the Internal Revenue Service an estimated 15 to 20 percent of eligible workers still do not claim their EITC benefits, mostly due to lack of awareness.
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(01/25/2013/MF)