Millions of Americans face financial hardship every day and may even be one paycheck away from homelessness.
To make life a little easier and hopefully less stressful, Community Partnership of the Ozarks partners with 11 agencies through the Across the Life Span (ATLS) Coalition to provide free tax preparation clinics through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) Program.
These programs use IRS-certified volunteers to provide free tax preparation for low-to-moderate income individuals and families. The volunteers are trained to make sure individuals and families are maximizing their refunds and getting all the tax credits they are owed.
The ATLS Coalition prepared 6,869 tax returns this year, returning $3,644,568 in federal tax refunds and almost $700,000 in Earned Income Credit (EIC). EIC is a benefit for working people with low-to-moderate income. It’s important because it lifts people out of poverty and strengthens our community. EIC households tend to spend their credits quickly and locally, which produces a strong “multiplier effect.” It’s estimated EIC generates approximately $2 in local economic activity for every $1 claimed, and it makes work pay because these credits grow for low-income workers as their income increases, providing a financial incentive for workers to stay employed and increase their earnings.
Free tax preparation clinics will be held throughout the summer to assist with filing property tax credits, amended and past year returns. If you are interested in visiting with one of our volunteer tax preparers, please call 417-720-2000 to make an appointment.
Both the VITA and TCE programs could not be possible without our dedicated volunteers. We are looking for individuals who are interested in being trained to become a volunteer tax preparer. The time commitment is minimal and only for a few months a year. You don’t have to be an accountant to be able to help! We provide free training and support to anyone who is interested. If you would like to find out more, call Patricia Deck at 417-888-2020 or email pdeck@cpozarks.org.