Volunteers needed for tax preparation assistance

Volunteers are needed for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program to help low- to moderate-income households prepare and file their taxes to ensure they get back the money they have earned.

Through this national program, volunteers are trained and certified by the IRS to offer free tax preparation assistance to ensure that working families and individuals are filing for all of the appropriate tax credits. It can also help people avoid costly fees associated with tax preparation and rapid refund loans.

The program is looking for volunteers at the VITA sites located in downtown Middletown to provide free basic tax preparation assistance for eligible taxpayers. Tax preparation assistance is offered January 22–April 10, 2013 at the offices of Middlesex United Way and NEAT.

Volunteers complete training and are certified by the IRS. Training will be held from January 7-10 or January 14-17 in the evening. Volunteers must attend consecutive evening sessions. You will be trained to let filers know if they qualify for additional tax credits, such as the federal and the new state Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) and the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit.

VITA volunteers must complete a minimum of one 4-hour shift per week during tax season in the late afternoons and evenings or on Saturdays; maintain confidentiality of all client information; and deal with the public in a helpful and supportive manner.

In 2012, the two VITA sites in Middletown helped 349 Middlesex County residents file their taxes for free and returned $450,000 back to taxpayers. Those who filed with our VITA sites had an average Adjusted Gross Income of $20,053 and received an average refund of almost $1,500, money they have earned. This impacts not only those who filed their taxes, but also their families and the local economy. 

For more information about volunteering, contact David Morgan at dmorgan@wesleyan.edu or (860) 346-1522.

VITA is a free program offered by the federal government. The local Middletown VITA sites are coordinated by Middlesex United Way and the Middlesex VITA Coalition.