The Internal Revenue Service Taxpayer Assistance Center in Topeka will be expanding service to area taxpayers eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit by opening its doors on three Saturdays. The extra days and hours are being added to the Topeka IRS walk-in office's schedule to help potentially eligible taxpayers who may not be able to seek assistance during the work week.

EITC is a refundable credit which can result in a refund of more than $4,800 for eligible taxpayers in the Topeka area. Taxpayers with incomes of $41,646 or less may be eligible to claim this credit, depending on their filing status.

Taxpayers wanting to know whether they qualify for the EITC can visit the Topeka IRS office at 120 S.E. Sixth Avenue. IRS personnel are available to answer taxpayers' questions, offer additional information about the EITC, provide publications about this valuable credit and help prepare returns claiming the credit.

The Topeka IRS walk-in Taxpayer Assistance Center will be open on January 31, and February 7 and 21 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Taxpayers not in the Topeka area can locate the IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center nearest them by visiting IRS.gov. You'll find a list of local offices, and days and hours of service, by state at www.irs.gov/localcontacts.

Aside from IRS offices, taxpayers may also receive assistance at more than 12,000 free tax assistance sites nationwide. Taxpayers can locate the most conveniently located Volunteer Tax Assistance Site in Topeka by calling (211, 311 or 1-800-906-9887-depending what is available locally).

Whether taxpayers are seeking assistance at an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center, a free income tax preparation site or from a professional tax return preparer in Topeka, they should bring certain documents with them, including:

*Valid driver's license or photo identification (self & spouse, if applicable)

*Social Security cards for all persons listed on the return

*Dates of birth for all persons listed on the return

*All income statements: Forms W-2, 1099, Social Security, Unemployment, or other benefits statements, self-employment records and any documents showing taxes withheld

*Dependent child care information: payee's name, address and SSN or TIN

*Proof of account at financial institution for direct debit or deposit (e.g. cancelled/ voided check or bank statement)

*Prior year tax return (if available)

*Any other pertinent documents or papers

For more information about the EITC and to find out if you qualify, visit IRS.gov. On the IRS Web site, you'll find the EITC Assistant, an online tool to help taxpayers determine whether they are eligible for the credit.

Taxpayers looking for the IRS online should type irs.gov into their Web browsers. Taxpayers should also beware of Web sites that may resemble IRS.gov but end in .com, .net, .org, .biz or any other domain name extension. For the genuine IRS Web site, it's IRS.gov.