Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (V.I.T.A.) Program

Every tax season, America’s hardest-working families rely on their tax refund to support their children by helping to pay down debts and put food on the table. Unfortunately, families and our elderly face exorbitant, negligent, and sometimes fraudulent preparers that cost our communities millions in fees. Limestone and Morgan Counties VITA Volunteers provide free tax preparation services and meaningful opportunities for savings. Free tax returns were prepared for 1864 plus low income families, elderly and veterans during 2016 tax season. Earned Income Tax Credit amounted to $314,888.00 and Child Tax Credit amounted to $102,749.00. Federal refunds were in excess of $1,312,546.00 and State refunds amounted to $87,527. Tax returns were filed for 232 veterans.
The national average to prepare a tax return is $150.00. The work completed by RSVP/V.I.T.A. volunteers in filing 1864 returns would be a savings of $279,600.00 for the elderly and low income taxpayers in Limestone and Morgan Counties. Spendable income generated back into the community was in excess of $1.4 million. This money helped the elderly and low income to secure health insurance, pay debts and feed their families.
Thank you Alabama Mountains, Rivers and Valleys Resource Conservation and Development Council, Incorporated for your support of the Athens-Limestone County RSVP Volunteer Income Tax Program. You have helped the program become more effective and efficient to better serve the elderly and low income taxpayers. Through the volunteers services, we are assisting taxpayers living on limited income prepare their income tax returns, apply for Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credits. The Volunteers are educating the taxpayer on their eligibility of tax credits, financial management, and record keeping.
The laptops provided by AMRVRC&D assisted the volunteers in preparing taxes this year because this was the year of a new Internal Revenue Tax Software Program. There were trying times with the TAXSLAYER Program and the new computers certainly made the process work easier. The printers were faster. The new software generates more copies per return therefore increasing the cost of paper used in the tax program this year.
Taxpayers are continually praising the income tax volunteers for their support and service. The taxpayers realize the money they are saving by using the Volunteer Tax Preparation services and are grateful. A student came the last day to have his taxes filed. He failed to bring last year’s return and time was running out because he waited until the last day. The Tax Counselor waited for the student to go home and get his last year’s return, come back and discover he had not filed the previous year. After a longer than normal process the student had two years of taxes filed and was most appreciative of the Tax Counselor. The return was e-filed and the student was eligible for a tax refund that would be sent to him since he filed his back taxes this year. This is just one of the many stories that our Tax Counselors see every year. The Volunteer Income Tax Program makes a difference in each life receiving this service every year.
Thank you AMRVRC&D for your support of this much needed program in Limestone and Morgan Counties. Your help is greatly appreciated by RSVP and all the lives we touch through our program.