The Tri-County United Way announced the availability of free tax preparation for families and individuals whose household income is below $49,000.

“Many taxpayers may overlook valuable tax credits,” said Tri-County United Way Executive Director Barbara Sweet.  “The Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC, can make life easier for workers struggling to make ends meet in today’s tight economy — up to $5,751.”

The IRS estimates one in four eligible taxpayers could miss out on valuable tax credits because they don’t check it out. Many people will qualify for EITC for the first time this year because their income declined, their marital status changed or they added children to their families.  Families with three or more children also get an extra boost with a larger credit this year.

VITA volunteers (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program) encourage anyone who earned $49,000 or less from wages, to see if they qualify for this and other valuable tax credits. Eligible taxpayers can get their EITC only if they file federal income tax returns – even if they are not otherwise required to file – and specifically claim the credit.

Taxpayers can get free help determining their EITC eligibility and claiming the credit at local Volunteer Income Tax Assistance sites throughout Warren, Washington and Northern Saratoga Counties. Help is available from IRS trained volunteers with day and evening appointments available.

Appointments may be made by calling:

• Warren County Head Start at 518-793-3624
• Moreau Community Center at 518-792-6007
• Warren County Cornell Cooperative Extension at 518-668-4881
• Southern Adirondack Independent Living Center at 518-792-3537
• Those in Washington County should call 1-800-211-5128

Tri-County United Way expresses its appreciation to all of the groups involved, including Head Start, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Southern Adirondack Independent Living Center, Moreau Community Center, and SUNY Adirondack which partner each year to provide this service. Special thanks to the volunteers who give their time throughout tax season to provide this assistance.

Tax payers are advised that electronic filing is simple, accurate, and secure, and there are direct deposit options for both Federal and State returns.  There are no charges at all to the consumer for this FREE Tax Preparation service.

To learn more about Tri-County United-Way, please visit their website here.

This entry was posted on Monday, January 30th, 2012 at 7:40 pm and is filed under ARCC Member News, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.