Houston area’s working families can receive free tax preparation assistance so they don’t waste their hard earned money on tax preparation, e-filing, or Refund Anticipation Loans.

As income tax filing season approaches, Houston area’s working families can receive free tax preparation assistance if they earn less than $40,000 annual income.

Known as the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, these services are coordinated by the Houston Asset Building Coalition (HABC) in partnership with the Internal Revenue Service and the City of Houston Mayor’s Citizens’ Assistance Office, United Way of Greater Houston, financial institutions and community based organizations. 

HABC also works to increase awareness of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC) through community outreach and through these free tax preparation sites.  EITC is a federal, refundable tax credit for full-time or part-time workers whose annual income is under $40,000.  Qualifying families may receive up to $4,700 in refund money.   By filing a tax return, even qualifying families that do not owe any federal income taxes may receive EITC.

Volunteer to make a difference………..Help the IRS!  Sound crazy? 

Over 325 HABC volunteers work on Saturdays and weekday evenings during the tax preparation season from February 1 through April 15 in one of the twenty-four (24) VITA sites throughout the Houston area, Missouri City, Tomball and Willis.

During tax season 2007, HABC volunteers prepared over 7,450 returns for the 2006 IRS tax year saving taxpayers over $1 million in tax preparation fees.  Through tax refunds, CTC ($2,192,138) and EITC ($3,493,470) tax credits, over $11 million was returned to Houston taxpayers and the Houston economy.

Volunteer positions include: tax prep arer; interpreter; greeter/screener; site manager; and quality reviewer.  First year tax preparation volunteers are trained by HABC and may choose their basic training for the first three Saturdays in December 2007 or the first three Saturdays in January 2008.

HABC and their partners want hard-working families to keep their hard-earned money through free income tax preparation, income tax credit refunds and by understanding their credit choices.  For a VITA site location nearest you, visit www.houstonassetbuilding.org. To volunteer for tax season 2008, e-mail vita@houstonassetbuilding.org or call 713-223-1864 x27.

This message is sponsored by The Alliance for Economic Inclusion (AEI), of which HABC is a member.  AEI is a broad-based coalition of financial institutions, community-based organizations and other partners working together to bring the underbanked and underserved populations into the financial mainstream. For further information, contact Gina Vincent at (972) 761-2504.