DENVER (KDVR) — It’s officially April and Coloradans scrambling to get their taxes done have a new place to turn to for help: the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
The state’s health department launched Get Ahead Colorado earlier this year, along with a website version for Spanish speakers. The goal is to point out the different tax credits that Coloradans may not know they’re eligible for, and resources to help do taxes for free.
“Economic mobility, it’s proven that it’s good for families when they have the resources and use these tax credits for other things, it can improve health,” Vanessa Bernal with CDPHE said. “Tax credits have been shown to reduce childhood poverty, boost food security and incentivize employment.”
According to CDPHE, more than one in four Coloradans miss out on tax credits so the website wants to bring more awareness to those opportunities.
That’s one of the factors that pushed CDPHE to launch the tool and make sure every Coloradan is filing this season, regardless of their background.
“It’s very important to have this information in both languages so it’s accessible for everybody in Colorado,” Bernal said.