So far, Americans who have filed their taxes have discovered that the average refund is up nearly ten percent this year – to an all-time high of about $3,000.  This is due in large part to the Recovery Act.  In fact, one-third of the Recovery Act was made up of tax cuts – tax cuts that have already provided more than $160 billion in relief for families and businesses, and nearly $100 billion of that directly into the pockets of working Americans.

No one I’ve met is looking for a handout.  And that’s not what these tax cuts are.  Instead, they’re targeted relief to help middle class families weather the storm, to jumpstart our economy, and to bring the fundamentals of the American Dream – making an honest living, earning an education, owning a home, and raising a family – back within reach for millions of Americans.

You can view the full transcript here. The White House has also put together a great Recovery Act Tax Savings Tool, which will allow taxpayers to figure out their eligibility for tax benefits under the Act.

The White House also put out a very helpful fact sheet, which details the tax of the Recovery Act:

RECOVERY ACT TAX RELIEF
Major Tax Benefits

Taxpayers can collect on more than a dozen 2009 Recovery Act tax benefits when they file their 2009 tax returns, including:

Making Work Pay – Ninety-five percent of working families are receiving the Recovery Act’s Making Work Pay tax credit of $400 for an individual or $800 for married couples filing jointly in their paychecks in 2009 – and will continue to in 2010.

• Taxpayers whose withholding in 2009 did not provide the full amount of the credit they are due will get the additional amount when they file their 2009 tax return. Even though most taxpayers received the benefit of this credit in their paychecks from adjusted tax withholding by their employers, they still need to claim this credit on their tax returns (i.e., Form 1040 or 1040A).

Up to $2,500 in College Expenses – Families and students are eligible for up to $2,500 in tax savings under the American Opportunity Credit as well as enhanced benefits under 529 college savings plans, which help families and students pay for college expenses.

• American Opportunity Credit – More parents and students are eligible for a tax credit of up to $2,500 to pay for college expenses and can claim the credit annually for four years instead of two.
• 529 College Savings Plans – Students can now use a 529 plan to pay for computer technology, adding this to the list of traditional college expenses (tuition, books, etc.) that can be paid for by a 529 plan.

Up to $8,000 for Purchase of First Home – Homebuyers can get a credit of up to $8,000 for first homes purchased by April 30, 2010 under the First Time Homebuyer tax credit.  Long-time residents who don’t qualify as first-time homebuyers and those with incomes of up to $145,000 for an individual and $245,000 for joint filers are also eligible for a reduced credit.

Up to $1,500 in Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Incentives – Taxpayers are eligible for up to $1,500 in tax credits for making some energy-efficiency improvements to their homes such as adding insulation and installing energy efficient windows.

Money Back for New Vehicle Purchases – Taxpayers can deduct the state and local sales taxes they paid for new vehicles purchased from Feb. 17, 2009 through Dec. 31, 2009 under the vehicle sales tax deduction.  In states that don’t have a sales tax, some other taxes or fees paid may be deducted.

Expanded Family Tax Credits – Moderate income families with children may be eligible for an increase in the Earned Income Tax Credit and the additional Child Tax Credit.

• Earned Income Tax Credit – The Recovery Act increased the credit for families with three or more children, bringing the maximum amount to $5,657.
• Child Tax Credit – More families will be able to take advantage of the child tax credit under the Recovery Act, which reduced the minimum amount of earned income used to calculate the additional child tax credit to $3,000 from $12,550.

Up to $2,400 in Unemployment Benefits Tax Free in 2009 – Unemployment benefits are normally taxable, but the Recovery Act made the first $2,400 of unemployment benefits received in 2009 tax free.

This will provide a huge benefit in providing more reliable performance for high-speed Amtrak passenger trains and Virginia Railway Express (VRE) commuter trains by allowing passenger trains and freight trains to share the same rail corridor in a more efficient manner. Based on topography, this new 11.4 miles of track will allow trains to increase their maximum speed to around 100 mph. The current maximum operating speed is 70 mph.

…Being a regular VRE rider, this is a great news…I’ve been quite happy with the improvements that VRE has made in their overall on-time performance over the last two years and the addition of this third track will provide for even further improvement…Many thanks to Sens. Webb and Warner…

This project is slated to be completed in 2 years and is actually part of a larger effort to build a Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor in Virginia.

The benefits of this project reach well beyond increased rail performance and extend to job creation in the region. As Sen. Warner explains,

this project will create construction jobs and spur economic activity at the local level, and eventually it will be part of the larger effort to provide congestion relief and help reduce our nation’s dependence on fossil fuels.

Sen. Webb adds that that he is a

strong proponent of rail systems nationwide and also in Virginia, which reduce traffic on our highways in a cost effective way.

He had hoped for additional funding, but adds that

today’s $75 million commitment of stimulus funds will both [help] to spur job creation and economic growth, while making meaningful investments in Virginia’s high-speed rail.

To learn more about this project, you can click here (pdf): http://bit.ly/adWWFy.

EHS is a federally funded program for low-income families with children under the age of three and pregnant women. The program’s mission is to promote healthy prenatal outcomes for pregnant women; enhance the development of very young children; and to promote healthy family functioning. The mainstay of the program is a unique home visitation program that provides families with parental education and parent-child activities, comprehensive health and mental health services and access to high quality child care.

Gov. Kaine:

“Virginia has made great strides in our early childhood learning programs, including pre-kindergarten Head Start”

[…]

“Creating the healthy habits and nurturing environments that support learning and development start very early, so access to prenatal care and parent education can’t begin soon enough. It’s excellent news that more families will be helped through an increase in Early Head Start funding.”

Secretary of Health and Human Resources Marilyn B. Tavenner:

“Information shared in a home visit can address a family’s immediate needs – nutrition assistance, for example”

[…]

“In addition, family service staff reinforce the parenting skills that help moms and dads create and maintain an environment that supports early learning and healthy development.”

For more information or to learn more about the Early Head Start Program, visit the Early Head Start National Resource Center.