Et cetera : Free tax preparation program, now available

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 18. by taking appointments online and over the phone.

Tax preparation can be a confusing and expensive process for many individuals and families. VITA is a free tax preparation service provided to income-eligible households. Thanks to the support of last year's volunteers, VITA prepared and filed over 1,701 refunds and brought back over $2.4 million into East Central Iowa. 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, emphasized the impact of all the VITA volunteers, both those who are new and those who come back each year. Together, they gave over 5,000 hours of volunteer time in 2023 to the VITA program and its clients.

"VITA removes the challenges and financial burden of tax preparation and is supported by the IRS," Hershner said. "The contribution that the VITA volunteers bring into our community ensures the money owed goes back to individuals and families. It's a substantial amount." Appointments will be made on a first-come, first-serve basis. Those interested in utilizing the service need to visit www.uweci.org/VITA to review the checklist for eligibility and sign up for an appointment available at eight locations in Linn County. 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 $64,000 per year as an individual or family. To schedule an individual interview request to learn more about VITA, please contact Karey Chase, Vice President of Community Impact.

About United Way of East Central Iowa

United Way of East Central Iowa (UWECI) believes in a strong, thriving community where everyone belongs. Together with its partners, volunteers, advocates, and donors, UWECI creates solutions to fill various gaps of need. By focusing on initiatives to build economic mobility, foster childhood success, improve access to healthcare, and support safety net services, UWECI improves the lives of individuals in Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Jones, and Linn counties. To learn more about this life changing strategy, visit https://www.uweci.org/what-we-do/our-focus/unitetoinspire/