Et cetera : United Way Now Taking Appointments for Critical Community Service

Scheduling for VITA, a free tax preparation program, now available

United Way of East Central Iowa (UWECI) opened its free service; Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) to the public on Thursday, Jan 19 by taking appointments online and over the phone.

Navigating taxes can be confusing and challenging for some families. Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) is a free volunteer-run tax preparation service provided for low-income households. Those interested in utilizing the service need to visit visit www.uweci.org/VITA2023 to review the checklist for eligibility and sign up for an appointment. You can also call 319-382-5685 Monday - Thursday to schedule an appointment over the phone. Eligibility includes being a resident of Linn, Jones, Benton, Cedar, or Iowa Counties and earning less than $60,000 per year as an individual or family.

Last year, VITA prepared and filed over 1,500 refunds bringing back over $2,906,000 into the community. The average tax preparation fee is $176. Those who can't afford this fee either do their own taxes, often missing important tax credits, or do not file their taxes at all.

Meredith Hershner, Senior Manager, Community Resource and Volunteer Engagement said previous clients have shared this free service has given the opportunity for stable housing, secure transportation and more.

"Every dollar matters and adds up," Hershner said. "It's important to have this free service available because it gives folks stability by putting a substantial amount of money back into families' pockets."

Appointments will be taken at a first come, first-serve basis. Volunteers are core to offering VITA to the community. 5,650 hours of volunteer time was given in 2022 to the VITA program and its clients.
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