Brief
Low-Income Parents and the Use of Paid Tax Preparers
February 1, 2005
Primary tasks
Abstract
Low-income parents use paid preparers more frequently than other parents. This high reliance may be a good thing. Among low-income parents who know about the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) those who receive help are more likely to receive the EITC than their peers who prepare their returns independently. Although use of a paid preparer could obfuscate one's knowledge of important tax benefits if the paid preparer does not explain their calculations, this does not appear to be the case. We continue to note that significantly fewer Hispanic parents know about the EITC than other low-income parents.
Research Area
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