
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax help to households that earned $70,000 or less in the previous year. VITA is a financial stability initiative of the United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties.
At VITA Sites, IRS-certified United Way volunteers provide free, basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals.
3 WAYS TO DO YOUR TAXES FOR FREE
2. File with a virtual tax preparer
3. File your taxes in-person at a VITA site with a tax preparer
*2023 Tax Filing Appointments Are No Longer Available.*
• Help recruit new volunteers
• Spread the word about VITA
• Find additional spaces in Rutherford County to grow
• Donate to the VITA program
Required Documents:
- Original Social Security cards or ITINs for everyone on the return – NO exceptions
- Photo id for Taxpayer and spouse if married (best tax benefits)
- All income documents; W-2s, 1099s including Unemployment, Social Security, Retirement, Dividends, Student Loans, Cash & Gambling income. To obtain W-2s go to www.irs.gov/transcript for a non-redacted copy after Feb 1 if not received.
- Self Employed & Contract work – provide written income and expense records: note miles Jan-June 2022 & separate for July-dec 2022 for mileage rate changes.
- Proof of expenses documents can include: Charitable contributions receipts, 1098-T education expenses, child care, Educator expenses, Health Savings Account and dependent care expenses.
- Direct Deposit Information – the fastest, safest way to get your refund. Bank routing and account number as it appears on a personal check is easiest way to locate information or your prepaid card may be an option.
- Bring your 2020/2021 Tax Return to compare and note changes.
- We do NOT prepare: state taxes, rental, farm, minister income, or self-employment with loss or inventory income. Other less common limitations apply per IRS regulations. See the self-preparation links above as an option.
*** EITC and Education Refunds are released by Congress the first week of March
The 2023 in-person filing appointments are no longer available.
IRS is warning taxpayers that Refunds may be smaller in 2023. Many of the tax benefits still exist, but under current tax law, they have reverted to their smaller, pre-pandemic levels.
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) helps working families in our community keep more of their hard-earned income and pay for things like childcare, groceries, and car repairs to get to work. One in five who are eligible for the EITC are leaving money on the table – money that can make a big difference in paying bills and putting food on the table. Households earning $70,000 or less can file their taxes for free at a VITA site during tax season or utilize MyFreeTaxes.com.
Here's why taxpayers should have an IRS online account.
An IRS online account is an safe an easy way for individual taxpayers to view specific details about their federal tax account. Here are some of the benefits and features of this online system.
Taxpayers can view:
- Their payoff amount, which is updated for the current day.
- The balance for each tax year for which they owe taxes.
- Their payment history.
- Key information from the their most current tax return as originally filed.
- Payment plan details if they have one.
- Digital copies of select IRS notices.
- Economic Impact Payments if they received any.
- Their address on file.
After viewing their information, a taxpayer can:
- Select an electronic payment option.
- Set up an online payment agreement.
- Go directly to Get Transcript.
New authorization feature
The new the “authorization” option in Online Account allows taxpayers to control who can represent them before the IRS or view their tax records. They can also approve and electronically sign Power of Attorney and Tax Information Authorization requests from their tax professional.
Taxpayer’s balance will update no more than once every 24 hours, usually overnight. Taxpayers should also allow 1 to 3 weeks for payments to show up in the payment history.
To access their information online, taxpayers must register through Secure Access. This is the agency’s two-factor authentication process that protects personal info. Taxpayers can review the Secure Access page process prior to starting registration.
Returns Filed: 1,260
Refunds: $1,906,000
Fees Saved: $410,000
Total Money Back: $2,316,000