Thank you for your interest in The Ohio Benefit Bank (OBB) – an important new public-private initiative that the State of Ohio is strongly supporting. The OBB helps low and moderate-income folks prepare and electronically file their federal and state income tax returns. At the same time, it helps people gain access to government programs targeted to benefit them.
The OBB is offered at convenient, community-based locations, where people live, work, play and pray. I am very enthusiastic about this effort because it helps people, it makes government run better and it infuses resources into our communities. The OBB is a step toward turning programs on paper into benefits in hand. It is an acknowledgement of the fact that no government program, no matter how well-intentioned, can help a person who doesn’t know the program exists or what the program offers.
I firmly believe that tackling poverty, hunger, and unemployment will require individuals, community and religious groups, and government to work together. The OBB is a great example of how a public-private partnership can achieve tangible results. The OBB has already helped thousands of Ohioans claim millions of dollars worth of tax credits and other benefits. Most of these funds are federal dollars that, when spent in local communities, boost local economies. We expanded funding for the OBB in the State budget, and now we will continue to work with public and private partners to expand the OBB’s reach in Ohio.
If your household income is less than $54,000 per year, I urge you to use the OBB’s free online tax assistance service for federal and Ohio income taxes. You may also obtain free income tax assistance by finding an OBB site offering tax help near you.
You may check to see whether you might be eligiblefor other work supports, such as home energy assistance, health insurance, child care subsidies and food stamps. You may complete the paperwork for these supports, with the assistance of a trained counselor, by finding an OBB site near you.
If you would like to help with the OBB, I urge you to learn more about how, including about how to establish an OBB site, train to be a counselor and promote the OBB.
For any additional information, including the locations and times of tax clinics that may be offered in your area, please call the toll-free OBB hotline number at (800) 648-1176.
Together, we can connect Ohioans with resources to help them achieve self-sufficiency and restore hope to our neighbors in need.
Ted Strickland, Governor