GSO Ends Tax Season by Putting Cash Back in the Hands of Californians Through CalEITC and its Community Outreach Program
April 16, 2025
As tax season draws to a close, Golden State Opportunity is proud to report its community outreach events have helped 2,500 individuals get their taxes done for free through partnership with community organizations across the state.
Rounding out GSO’s tax season outreach, the final Tacos & Taxes event brought together State Treasurer Fiona Ma, Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen and Asian Resources Inc. to pair free tacos with free tax preparation. This year, GSO hosted over 25 of these events across the state with its community connect partners like Dreams for Change in San Diego, New Economics for Women in Los Angeles, Jakara Movement in Fresno, Tax Aid in San Francisco, and many more community-based organizations. These events serve California residents earning less than $67,000 a year who qualify for free tax preparation. Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) preparers also help ensure that residents that qualify for cash-back tax credits are able to claim all their eligible credits while filing.
“Free tax preparation is a vital component of ensuring that Californians get every dollar they deserve during tax season,” said Amy Everitt, President of Golden State Opportunity. “GSO is proud to work with trusted community organizations to bring vital tax refunds to hard-to-reach folks who are working to build financial stability.”
This year, California marks a decade since the start of the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC). Paired with free tax preparation services, eligible individuals and households who file both state and federal tax returns stand to receive thousands of dollars in support this year. These critical funds are used by families to help make rent, prepare for emergencies, or afford essential childcare services. By offering refundable tax credits, the program not only helps families navigate the rising costs of living but also bolsters economic resilience in communities statewide.
GSO’s focus on community-powered outreach has helped California work to reach its goal to lift more people out of poverty and to connect historically excluded communities with cash back tax credits. This work is undertaken by Community Connect partners, organizations that recruit and train volunteers to provide free tax preparation services and other wraparound services for the community. In the Los Angeles region, Tacos & Taxes events also helped those affected by January fires get connected with additional resources in their community.
“A client of ours has been getting free tax preparation with us for the last 5 years. She’s been able to get CalEITC child tax credits, and we’ve been working with her to start her savings,” said Luis Gomez, with New Economics for Women. “As we’ve been working with her on her money management, she’s now ready to become a homeowner thanks to the savings and the refund that she’s been able to save with our help. We’re not only here to prepare taxes, we’re also here to provide financial education, to provide housing, information, whatever the family needs.”
Since 2015, California has put more than $1.4billion into the pockets of working Californians through its support of free tax preparation and outreach programs focused on hard-to-reach populations. GSO continues to support equitable access to free tax preparation to ensure all Californians can claim the critical tax credits they deserve.
CalEITC4Me is a groundbreaking, public-private partnership with community-based organizations and the state of California focused on the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC), a cash-back tax credit that puts money back into the pockets of low-income Californians.