All across the United States, the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) Program offers free tax help to low- to moderate-income (generally, $49,000 and below) people who cannot prepare their own tax returns. The VITA sites are located at libraries, schools, malls, community and neighborhood centers with most centers offering free e-filing.
The certified volunteer tax preparers see the impact of the VITA program in dollars returned to the community which can be substantial. The Mid-South VITA sites prepared more than 8,000 2008 tax returns which brought $11 million back into the community.
The VITA sites in Erie, Pa processed $2,500,000 in returns for the community during last year’s tax season (2009) and needed only three weeks this year to exceed that amount. From February 1, 2010 to February 22, 2010, the Erie sites processed enough returns to return $2,600,000 to the community.
Students at the University at Buffalo brought nearly $640,000 in tax refunds back into the Buffalo community for 2009 and in Naperville, Illinois, one site filed for more than $176,000 in income tax refunds for taxpayers in 2009.
There are literally millions of dollars returned to communities through the VITA program each year and taxpayer clients are also improving their financial knowledge.