The Internal Revenue Service is running a campaign to raise awareness about a tax credit that could mean thousands of dollars to Whatcom County families.

The IRS estimates that about 20 percent of those eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit don't claim it. People who work and earn less than $50,270 from wages, self-employment or farming may be eligible for the credit, according to a news release from the IRS.

In Whatcom County, 12,042 tax returns claimed the tax credit, bringing in about $22 million into the community, or $1,829 per return, according to the IRS. In Washington, 431,863 families in Washington received approximately $884.5 million from the tax credit.

"About a third of the people eligible for the EITC changes every year, probably because they get a job or lose one, have a child or change their marital status," said IRS spokesman David Tucker II in a news release. "This changing population of people who are eligible is why it's so important to raise new awareness every year."

Reach Business Editor Dave Gallagher at 360-715-2269 or dave.gallagher@bellinghamherald.com. Read his business blog at blogs.bellinghamherald.com/business or follow him on Twitter at @bhamheraldbiz.