One Economy Announced The Launch Of Beehive.Org: Free Earned Income Tax Credit Help

One Economy a multi-national nonprofit today announced the launch of its free online tax filing tool. The Beehive.org (www.thebeehive.org), One Economy’s English/Spanish website featuring interactive content and tools that enable low-income people to improve their lives, will connect users to free filing through industry-leading web program CompleteTax.

Sponsored by E*TRADE FINANCIAL for the second year, the tool will be available for free to all people making under $40,000 a year and enables users to file both federal and state taxes electronically. The Beehive web content also determines filers’ eligibility for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a widely under-used federal tax refund for low-wage earners. Each year more than $12 billion in EITC dollars are left unclaimed due to lack of tax-payer education and awareness.

"E*TRADE FINANCIAL's investment in One Economy has shown that when we make good information readily available to low-income individuals, they act in their own best interest," says One Economy's CEO, Rey Ramsey. "E*TRADE FINANCIAL's support has helped America’s working poor save millions of dollars which they can use to buy a home or further their education."

Last year’s EITC initiative attracted more than 27,000 unique visitors to the site from January through April. Of these visitors, more than 1,400 people filed their taxes using CompleteTax on the Beehive, receiving an average refund of $1,480. In total, The Beehive helped return over $1.8 million to low-income tax filers.

Other tax resources on the Beehive includes listings of free community tax prep sites, an interactive EITC eligibility tool, and information on how to build wealth through a refund. Eligible childcare providers and other self-employed people can also file Schedule C returns free through the Beehive. One Economy has extended this free service to nonprofit free tax prep groups nationwide.

In addition to EITC content, the Beehive’s Money/Dinero Section includes bilingual tools and content to help users achieve financial independence, with topics like: paying off debt, opening a checking account, making mortgage payments, and investing a refund in a 401(k).

About One Economy Corporation
One Economy Corporation is a multi-national non-profit founded in 2000 that uses technology-based strategies to help low income people improve their lives and join the economic mainstream. One Economy’s strategy brings broadband into the home along with online content through their bilingual consumer website the Beehive (www.thebeehive.org). Through its Bring IT Home campaign, One Economy has helped bring broadband into the homes of 200,000 low-income people. To date nearly nine million individuals have used the Beehive. One Economy recently launched a campaign to expand these online offerings by creating the Public Internet Channel. For more information, visit www.one-economy.com