Free tax services for low- to moderate-income families and individuals are available from the Greater Lawrence Community Action Council Inc., which is participating in the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program. GLCAC Inc.’s team of volunteer tax preparers will help qualified individuals complete tax returns and file for the Earned Income Tax Credit.
Last year, GLCAC helped 322 people apply for $612,550 in earned income tax credits.
GLCAC Inc.’s volunteers will offer free tax help to people earning $51,000 or less and who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. The tax preparers will also help families file for the Earned Income Tax Credit, which could mean a tax refund for families.
“Low-income families may not be taking advantage of the tax refunds they are legally entitled to receive. By helping them correctly file and get their tax refunds, we aid them in achieving financial stability. They get a refund they can apply toward paying off debt or put toward saving for the future,” said Evelyn Friedman, Executive Director of the GLCAC Inc.
Volunteer tax preparers are available on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays starting at 4 p.m. For more information and to make an appointment, call (978) 620-4669. Clients are expected to bring financial records to their appointments, and if filing jointly, both individuals must be present. Those documents include:
- A photo ID for each working adult
- Social Security card or Individual Taxpayer ID Number for each working adult and dependents
- All W-2 forms for jobs held in 2013; 1099 and other income forms (including unemployment statements)
- Interest and dividend statements from bank
- Copy of 2012 tax return
- Proof of health insurance (form 1099HC, health insurance cards, or pay stubs)
- Birth dates for all persons claimed on tax returns
- Account and routing numbers for direct deposit or split refund
In addition to filing tax returns, GLCAC Inc.’s volunteers will provide participants with information on financial literacy and discuss options for putting the tax returns into savings.
The GLCAC Inc. program is sponsored by the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley, the Massachusetts Association for Community Action, and the IRS.
The Earned Income Tax Credit, first approved by Congress in 1975, provides a refund to taxpayers when the amount of the taxes owed is less than the EITC.
Millions of American families eligible for the EITC fail to receive it. The federal government estimates between 15 and 25 percent of households entitled to the EITC do not claim the credit. That estimated 3.5 million to 7 million households are missing billions in tax refunds.
