VITA for Foster Youth

This free course is for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site personnel to learn about the California Foster Youth Tax Credit (FYTC) and how to assist current and former foster youth. The FYTC is a program under the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC), providing a refundable tax credit to young adults ages 18-25 who were in foster care on or after age 13, and are eligible for the CalEITC. The FYTC was established in California state law in July 2022 and is the first tax credit in the nation specifically for current and former foster youth.

The training course will familiarize VITA volunteers with the foster care system, instruct them how to claim the FYTC in TaxSlayer, and cover common challenges and questions that may arise for young adults from foster care during their VITA appointment. The course will also provide links to helpful resources that VITA volunteers may provide to foster youth tax filers to help them prepare for their appointment, and what to expect after filing. Current and former foster youth filing their taxes have an average Adjusted Gross Income of just $17,490. Filing taxes has increased their income by an average of 10% for filers without dependents, and 26% for those filing with dependents. We encourage all VITA Volunteers across California to take the time to learn about this important tax credit and how to best assist foster youth with tax filing, a critical independent living skill not taught in foster care.