Washington, DC  – Today, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson encouraged all residents in the 30th District to take advantage of numerous tax cuts in the Recovery Act. With only half of taxpayers having filed thus far, tax refunds are already up nearly 10% from last year – thanks to a broad array of tax cuts in the Recovery Act.

“Most people don’t realize that tax cuts are the biggest individual piece of the Recovery Act,” said Congresswoman Johnson.  “President Obama and Congress gave 95% of working Americans one of the largest tax cuts in history through the Recovery Act; and as you file your 2009 income taxes, you may qualify for a series of other generous tax cuts – for example, you could save money for attending college, making energy-saving home improvements, purchasing a home for the first time, or buying a new car. I encourage all the residents of the 30th Congressional District to take advantage of these and other tax cuts as they file their 2009 taxes over the coming weeks.”

Taxpayers in 30th Congressional District and across the country can claim a variety of benefits on their 2009 tax returns, including:

• The Making Work Pay tax credit – Ninety-five percent of working families are already receiving the Recovery Act’s Making Work Pay tax credit of $400 for an individual or $800 for married couples filing jointly in their 2009 paychecks – and will continue to see these benefits in 2010. In the 30th District, 238,000 families are benefiting from the Making Work Pay tax credit. 
• Tax credits for college expenses – Families and students are eligible for up to $2,500 in tax savings under the American Opportunity Credit as well as enhanced benefits under 529 college savings plans, which help families and students pay for college expenses.
• The First Time Homebuyers tax credit – First time homebuyers can get a credit of up to $8,000 for homes purchased by April 30, 2010 under the First Time Homebuyer tax credit. In Texas, 161,911 households have already taken advantage of the First Time Homebuyers tax credit.
• Tax credits for energy efficient renovations – Taxpayers are eligible for up to $1,500 in tax credits for making energy-efficient improvements to their homes, such as adding insulation and installing energy efficient windows.
• The vehicle sales tax deduction – Taxpayers can deduct the state and local sales taxes they paid for new vehicles purchased from Feb. 17, 2009 through Dec. 31, 2009 under the vehicle sales tax deduction.
• Expanded family tax credits – Moderate income families with children may be eligible for an increase in the Earned Income Tax Credit and the additional Child Tax Credit.
• Tax-free unemployment benefits – Thanks to the Recovery Act, individuals who received unemployment insurance in 2009 do not have to pay taxes on the first $2,400 of such earnings.

To find out what tax cuts you may qualify for, check the White House online tax calculator by clicking http://www.whitehouse.gov/recovery/tax-saving-tool.

“When President Obama took office, our economy was in freefall, losing nearly 800,000 jobs a month, cutting into Americans’ retirement savings and freezing lending to small businesses,” said Congresswoman Johnson. “We passed the Recovery Act and were able to save and create more than two million jobs in the first year of a two-year effort. We still have a long way to go to put more Americans back to work, but we are moving in the right direction. And in the meantime, these tax cuts will ease the burden on American families who are struggling to make ends meet.”

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U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson is the highest-ranking Texan on the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure and a senior member of the Science Committee. She represents the 30th Congressional District of Texas, which, includes Downtown Dallas, Fair Park, Oak Lawn, Old East Dallas, Pleasant Grove, & South Oak Cliff; all of Balch Springs, DeSoto, Hutchins, Lancaster & Wilmer and parts of Cedar Hill, Duncanville, Ferris, Glenn Heights and Ovilla.