VITA and United Way Offer Free Tax Assistance

From the United Way

Free income tax preparation will be available at Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites in Middletown between Jan. 21 and April 10. People who earn less than $50,000 a year are eligible for free tax assistance from an IRS-trained volunteer. The Middlesex VITA Coalition, in partnership with Middlesex United Way and the Middlesex Coalition for Children, is sponsoring two VITA sites in Middletown:

· Middlesex United Way, 100 Riverview Center, Suite 230 (opening Jan. 21)

· North End Action Team office, 668 Main St. (opening Jan. 23)

Free tax assistance will be available by appointment only on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and on Saturdays. Appointments can be made by calling United Way 2-1-1 any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 2-1-1 is a free call from anywhere in Connecticut.

Volunteers at the VITA sites will help tax filers determine eligibility for credits including the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Dependent Care Tax Credit. The EITC is a federal income tax credit for low-income working individuals and families that often goes unclaimed. According to the IRS, aproximately 24 million taxpayers claimed over $49 billion for tax year 2008. Still, the IRS estimates that 20 to 25 percent of qualifying workers miss out on thousands of dollars every year because they fail to claim their EITC.[1] The average EITC amount in Connecticut last year was $1,800, according to the IRS.[2] For more information, visit middlesexunitedway.org/site/vita.html.