Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Available Starting January 27th

Celebrating its tenth year anniversary the Cameron County Coalition for Free Tax Assistance is preparing for the tax season. Over 190 volunteers have trained and certified as tax professionals ready to serve families and individuals with household incomes of $51,000 or less.

Over the last ten years the Coalition, led by the United Way of Southern Cameron County has returned millions of dollars to Cameron County residents who qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credits. Last year this unique economic development strategy assisted over 2,000 families to claim over $2.4 million dollars in Earned Income Tax Credits.

This year the sites open on January 27 in ten locations across the county. For families with household incomes under $51,000 these sites provide free tax preparation and e-filing as well as an average savings of $35 per prepared return.  Many working families overlook important tax credits simple because they don’t know about them.

A tax refund offers a family a great chance to put some money into savings. For families interested in starting the New Year by creating an emergency safety net, a portion of the tax refund can be deposited into a savings account or used to purchase U.S. Savings Bonds at the tax appointment.

To find out a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance site near you call the abbreviated dialing code 211.  Operators will ask you for your zip code and will direct you to the VITA site nearest you.  Most sites are walk-in sites where clients are seen on a first come, first served basis.  Two sites require an appointment: the Ethel Whipple Memorial Library (Appointment line: 956-233-5330) and the University of Texas at Brownsville/ Texas Southmost College ITECC site (Appointment line: 956-295-3761)

Parents as well as the public can take advantage of free tax preparation at 4 local high schools who are participating in the VITA program this year: Gladys Porter High School, Lopez High School, Pace High School and Rivera High School in Brownsville.  Other sites are located at the Harlingen Outreach Center, Public Utility Board of Brownsville, Community Development Corporation of Brownsville, and the Boys and Girls Club of Laguna Madre.

Make sure you have what you need with you. All tax preparers require clients to bring a valid picture id, copy of your 2012 tax return if you have it, original social security cards for every person listed on the tax return, social security number verification letters or Individual taxpayer identification number letters for you, your spouse and any children born before December 31, 2013. If any of the following apply to you, take the following documentation: child care expenses including provider’s address and federal identification number, adoption expenses, alimony paid or received, any notices received from the IRS or state tax office, college tuition and student loan interest statements and any additional information related to: prizes and awards, scholarships and fellowships, lottery or gambling winnings.

“Families with students applying to college will want to take advantage of free tax assistance early in February to be prepared to fill out the Free Application for Financial Student Aid (FAFSA).  Give yourself 5 to 10 days between e-filing your tax return and filling out the online FAFSA form.  A good goal is to file a tax return before February 15 and fill out the FAFSA before March 1.”  -Keren Arista, Financial Stability Coordinator for United Way of Southern Cameron County.

For individuals interested in preparing their own taxes there are several options available. In partnership with the City of Brownsville, Myfreetaxes.com is available at both the Central and Southmost Public Library computing centers. This option allows taxpayers to file their own income tax return using on-line software.  At the university there will also be a Myfreetaxes facilitated self-prep tax site that will open Monday through Thursday from 10:00am to 5:00pm starting February 3 through February 20.  The URL for accessing free self-preparation for those with income under $58,000 is myfreetaxes.com/cameron. A help-line for tax questions is available to those using the self-prep software at 1-855-698-9435. 

Click Here to view a list of Free Tax Assistance Sites & Times in Adobe PDF Format.