Economic Security
Tax Filing & Tax Credits: Informational Resources
Assisting young adults currently or formerly in foster care with filing their taxes can put hundreds to thousands of dollars in their pockets to cover basic necessities and more. With the California Foster Youth Tax Credit, youth may qualify for up to $1,154 when they file in 2025! JBAY has created several resources to assist young adults with tax filing, and provide guidance to those supporting young people to file.
The 2025 tax filing season starts at the end of January and continues through October 2025. The first step is to make a plan and prepare to file. Once youth are ready to file, they can self-file for free (see JBAY’s self-filing guide below), or for one-on-one support they can visit a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site for free assistance.
Guides & Tools
WANT TO CONDUCT OUTREACH ABOUT FILING TAXES AND THE NEW FOSTER YOUTH TAX CREDIT?
California Foster Youth Tax Credit 2025 Outreach Flyer
This outreach flyer informs young adults age 18-25 about the availability of this new tax credit for current and former foster youth. It contains a link and QR code that directs youth to additional information.
Franchise Tax Board 2025 Outreach Materials – Posters, Flyers, Graphics
The Franchise Tax Board provides free Foster Youth Tax Credit posters and flyers. Use this order form to order up to 20 free posters and 100 free flyers.
Social Media Toolkit
2025 version coming soon
This Toolkit is designed to assist you with getting the word out via social media to transition-age youth about the California Foster Youth Tax Credit.
WANT TO KNOW HOW TO HELP YOUNG ADULTS PREPARE FOR A FILING THEIR TAXES?
Tax Prep Checklist for Transition-Age Youth
2025 version coming soon
This checklist assists youth with gathering the necessary personal information and documents in preparation for filing their taxes to ensure youth file with confidence and maximize their cash back refund. The checklist includes free tax filing options.
WANT TO CONDUCT A “TAXES 101” / TAX PREP WORKSHOP FOR YOUNG ADULTS?
Taxes 101 Workshop Curriculum
2025 version coming soon
This PowerPoint slide deck provides a “taxes 101” curriculum for young adults currently or formerly in foster care, focused on teaching them about filing taxes and how to prepare. It is intended for programs (such as the county Independent Living Skills program) to offer during the fall, in preparation for the following tax season.
KNOW A YOUNG ADULT WHO WANTS TO FILE TAXES ON THEIR OWN FOR FREE, WITHOUT A PREPARER?
Choose from two resources below:
A Step-By-Step Guide to Filing Your Own Taxes in 2025 (slidedeck format)
2025 version coming soon
This resource provides steps and pictures to help young adults start and finish their state and federal tax returns, and makes sure they claim the California Foster Youth Tax Credit.
OR
Interactive Self-Filing Tool (2024)
JBAY and iFoster have partnered to create a virtual, interactive self-filing tool to help young adults start and finish their state and federal tax returns, and makes sure they claim the California Foster Youth Tax Credit.
KNOW A YOUNG ADULT WHO WANTS FREE ONE-ON-ONE ASSISTANCE WITH FILING THEIR TAXES?
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Roster
Coming soon with sites open in 2025
VITA sites provide free one-on-one tax filing assistance. This roster provides a list of sites that exclusively assist current and former foster youth, general VITA sites that have taken training on assisting foster youth and claiming the FYTC, and general sites that have not undergone training but are available to assist. If attending a general site, be sure to bring this one-pager with you to ensure your tax preparer knows how to claim the Foster Youth Tax Credit.
KNOW A YOUNG ADULT WHO IS VISITING A PAID TAX PREPARER?
California Foster Youth Tax Credit: Information for Professional Tax Preparers
Paid tax preparers often miss the Foster Youth Tax Credit (FYTC). This one-page resource educates and informs professional tax preparers about the FYTC to ensure that eligible young adults they assist do not miss out on the money they are owed.
ARE YOU A VITA VOLUNTEER SEEKING TRAINING ON THE FOSTER YOUTH TAX CREDIT FOR THE 2025 TAX SEASON?
This recorded training for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites instructs trainees on how to claim the FYTC in TaxSlayer and provides key tips for assisting young adults currently or formerly in foster care. All sites that take this training will be listed on JBAY’s VITA roster. If you would like your site listed on the roster, view the training then follow this link to provide your site’s information.
Reports, Fact Sheets & Webinars
REPORT & WEBINAR
WEBINAR
Make a Plan to File: Preparing for the Foster Youth Tax Credit (2023)
This webinar kicked off the 2024 tax season, enlisting and training critical stakeholders to help current and former foster youth in their communities access the Foster Youth Tax Credit in 2024.
REPORT & WEBINAR
California’s Historic Tax Credit for Foster Youth: Assessing Progress in its Inaugural Year (2023)
This report and webinar summarize the progress achieved in the first year of implementation of the California Foster Youth Tax Credit, which provided up to $1,083 to eligible current and former foster youth.
FACT SHEET
How Tax Filing Benefits Foster Youth (2022)
This fact sheet describes nine ways tax filing benefits young adults currently or formerly in foster care. Available in English and Spanish.
REPORT
This publication shares the results of a pilot project conducted in 2022 with six counties and their local partners to increase foster youth receipt of state and federal tax credits.
REPORT
Money in the Pocket During the Pandemic (2021)
This publication shares the results of a pilot project conducted in 2021 with Santa Clara County Social Services Agency and other local partners to increase foster youth receipt of state and federal tax credits.