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Rachel Young (left) and Evalyn Chapman review for the IRS tests and other training materials to volunteer with the VITA program. (Contributed photo) |
Sunday, January 17, 2010
By PAUL COLLINS - Bulletin Staff Writer
A United Way program that provides free tax return preparations for eligible taxpayers will begin its fourth year on Jan. 25.
Last year, the local Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program did 1,233 tax returns, and “we hope to do 1,500 this year,” said Pam Allen, coordinator of the United Way’s HOPE (Helping Others Progress Economically) Initiative.
To qualify for the service, the maximum income is $49,000 for the tax return (as an individual or married couple filing jointly), Allen said.
The four tax return preparation sites will be:
• Liberty Fair Mall, across from The Starting Place; no appointment necessary — first come, first served; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
• Grace Network, 433 E. Commonwealth Blvd.; 1-5 p.m. Mondays and 9 a.m. to noon on the first Saturday of the month in February, March and April. Call 638-8500 for an appointment.
• Bassett Family Practice, 324 T.B. Stanley Highway, 9 a.m. to noon on Thursdays and Fridays; call 629-1076 for an appointment.
• Southside Community Action, 58 W. Church St. (across from the Municipal Building), 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Call 666-0313 for an appointment.
Filers must bring a Social Security card for each person listed on the tax return. Everyone who is going to sign the tax return must be present and bring a photo identification. Also, filers must bring W-2s, 1099s, Social Security 1099 statements, any other tax papers and last year’s tax return, Allen said.
The tax preparation generally should not take more than 45 minutes, but that depends on the filer’s situation, she said.
Last year, the 1,233 tax returns prepared generated $1,645,555 in federal tax refunds and $189,286 in Virginia refunds, she added.
People who qualify for the service save money on tax preparation and filing fees, which could run from $100 to $250 for a simple return, Allen said. She noted that the goal is to file everything electronically to expedite the process, adding that filers who have their refunds deposited electronically will get their money sooner than if a check is mailed. For example, if a tax return is filed electronically by Jan. 21, the refund will be deposited electronically in the filer’s account Jan. 29 or mailed Feb. 5, she said.
Another goal of the program, she said, is to help people who qualify get the earned income tax credit (EITC), which is a tax benefit for working people who earn low or moderate income, she said. It has several important purposes, including offsetting taxes, supplementing low wages and providing a work incentive, she said.
People could qualify to receive as much as a $5,600 credit if: 1) they worked in 2009 and had children living with them and earned less than $40,000 (for the tax return, whether as an individual or married couple filing jointly); or 2) they worked in 2009, did not have children living with them and earned less than about $13,400 (for the tax return), Allen said.
Last year, 392 (32 percent) of the 1,233 tax returns qualified for the EITC, Allen said. She noted that the Internal Revenue Service estimates that 20 to 25 percent of qualifying taxpayers miss out on thousands of dollars every year because they fail to claim their EITC.
Tax returns will be prepared by volunteers who, on average, have completed at least 30 hours of training, Allen said, adding that many go beyond the minimum. Volunteer tax preparers must pass a basic level Internal Revenue Service test and, since there is a quality review process, reviewers (people who review the preparers’ work during the tax season) must pass the intermediate level IRS test, Allen said.
There will be at least one reviewer at each of the four sites. Four of the volunteers have completed the advanced level IRS test, as well as the basic and intermediate levels, she said.
Most of the volunteers have told Allen they have prepared their own tax returns for years, and at least two have worked as tax preparers, she said.
Recently, about 36 people had volunteered for the program, Allen said, and “we’re taking more.” Anyone interested in volunteering should call Allen.
The local VITA program has grown since it began in 2007, when 52 tax returns were prepared at two sites, she said.
The tax preparation service may run through about April 10, but that is subject to change, Allen said. “What we find is that we’re very busy at the first of the tax season,” she said. “We will reassess the situation in March.”
Allen said information about the local VITA program will be posted on the United Way’s Web site (www.unitedwayofhcm.org), or she can be reached at 403-5976. In general, information about VITA is available on the IRS Web site (www.irs.gov).
Kathy Rogers, executive director of the United Way, estimated the program will cost about $30,000, with funding coming from The Harvest Foundation and the Virginia Community Action Partnership. |
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