The EITC program was established nationally in 1975 to help close the poverty gap for the nation’s working poor.  The EITC is a refundable federal income tax credit for working people with low to moderate earned income.  An overriding goal of the EITC is to make work more attractive than welfare.  Unfortunately, millions of Louisiana resident do not file for an EITC. 
The primary goal of the DSS EITC program is to increase EITC participation rate from the TANF eligible population.  The focus of the evaluation is on the participation rates and outcomes for persons who file for EITC. 

• During previous years the evaluation examined EITC participation including trends by region, knowledge of EITC program rules, and the use of volunteer and paid tax preparers.
• Current research includes a survey of Louisiana’s TANF-funded Volunteer Income Tax Assistance users and a study of eligible workers identified through other LA-DSS programs.

For more information about the Louisiana TANF EITC evaluation contact Younghee Lim at lim108@lsu.edu

Office of Social Service Research and Development
School of Social Work
311 Huey P. Long Field House
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Phone: (800) 848-7111
Phone: (225) 578-5875
Fax: (225)578-5875