Don’t leave money behind
Vermont Business Magazine Many people living in Vermont are eligible to get thousands of dollars in tax refunds from the government, even if they earned little or no income last year. Some residents may qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit and/or the Vermont Child Tax Credit.
"We all contribute to public goods and services through our taxes, and tax credits are a fair way for working people and families with children with lower wages to afford the essentials,” said Anore Horton, Executive Director of Hunger Free Vermont. “Filing your taxes could mean thousands of dollars in refunds — money that can go toward food, rent, or other critical needs — but you have to file to get it, and free help is available!”
Every year, more than $15 billion in federal tax benefits go unclaimed in the United States!
In 2025, 32,700 Vermonters received an average Earned Income Tax Credit of $2,228 and a Child Tax Credit of $1,000 per child 6 years or under .
There are different eligibility criteria for each tax credit, but the one commonality is that many Vermont residents qualify for these credits, regardless of citizenship status. People just need to file taxes, even if they do not have a Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.
A tax credit is money that is taken off a person’s total tax bill, lowering the amount of taxes they pay. Unlike deductions, which reduce someone’s taxable income, many tax credits are refunds, which means that they reduce someone’s tax bill or are returned to the taxpayer as a refund check. If someone does not owe any taxes, then they are eligible for the full value of the tax credit. Plus, there are many ways people can file their taxes for free.
The Vermont Earned Income Tax Credit will refund people up to $600 if they don’t have children living with them, or up to $7,430 for families raising children at home. A person with children under 6 years old also gets $1,000 per child with the Vermont Child Tax Credit.
“Families should check if they have received the Earned Income Tax Credit — if so, that means they are automatically eligible to receive 3SquaresVT, which can totally transform a family’s monthly grocery budget,” said Sophie Springer, Hunger Free Vermont’s 3SquaresVT Specialist. “They have earned these benefits and deserve to use them to help feed their families!”
Any family with children that receives the Vermont Earned Income Tax Credit is automatically income eligible for 3SquaresVT — meaning it may be easier to enroll in the program and get money every month to buy groceries.
Residents may qualify for the Vermont Earned Income Tax Credit if:
• They earn money from a job
• They have low- to moderate-income
• Whether or not they have children
• They file taxes, even if they do NOT have a social security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number
Residents may qualify for the Vermont Child Tax Credit if:
• Their income is $0-$175,00
• They have children under 6
• They file taxes, even if they do NOT have a social security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number
To claim the refunds, people will need to file a tax return even if they do not owe taxes. The tax-filing deadline is April 15, but people can file their taxes up to three years after the deadline to receive these credits.
If it’s your first time filing taxes or you need help filling out the form to claim your tax credit, there are free resources and IRS-certified volunteers who can help!
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Connect with your local Community Action Agency to get free tax help at www.vermontcap.org/find-help/.
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Visit GetYourRefund.org to have an IRS-certified volunteer file your taxes for free.
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Visit MyFreeTaxes.com to file your own taxes for free online if you do not have self-employment income.
You can also call 2-1-1 to make an appointment with a tax assistance organization in your community. Visit www.taxcreditsvt.org/#get-free-tax-helpto learn more about tax credits, to see if you qualify, and to get help filing your taxes. This website can be translated into dozens of languages.
The Public Assets Institute and the Vermont Language Justice Project also have a series of videos about tax credits in 16 languages, accessible on the Vermont Language Justice Project’s Youtube page.
To learn more about 3SquaresVT and the Earned Income Tax Credit visit www.vermontfoodhelp.com/seasonal-updates/eitc.
SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT (March 3, 2026) — Hunger Free Vermont
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