RALEIGH, N.C. — Two credit unions in North Carolina have announced making major commitments to help their lower income members get money back from their taxes.

The $14.7 billion State Employees' Credit Union and the $708 million Local Employees Federal Credit Union, both headquartered in Raleigh, have teamed up with the IRS to train staff to participate in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance or VITA program. The VITA program helps low income people fill out their tax forms and take advantage of the tax benefits that the law provides. The CUs estimate that 400,000 of their members are eligible for the help.

The effort is not insignificant. Between now and next year's tax season, which the credit union believes will peak for its lower income members in February, the credit unions have committed to train two staff members for each of its branches in the tax preparation procedures. For SECU alone that means at least 430 staff members will have to complete, on average, 46 hours of training in the procedures and in the tax preparation software.

But if the investment is significant the reward is as well. David King, chairman of SECU's board, estimated that North Carolinians are currently leaving over $150 million in Earned Income Tax Credit funds to which they would otherwise be due because they don't know about them.