2014: 3,000 Mahoning County residents received $3 million in refunds and fee savings

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley has teamed up with the Mahoning Valley Economic Opportunity Coalition to provide free income-tax preparation assistance through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly programs.

The programs kick off Saturday with the “Super Saturday” event at these partner sites: Youngstown State University Williamson College of Business Administration, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., call 330-941-2507 for an appointment; and Sebring Public Library, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., call 330-519-7004 for an appointment. Appointments are required and participants should bring photo identification.

The Mahoning County Financial Stability Partnership joins the United Way and the Mahoning Valley Economic Opportunity Coalition to host a Financial Fair as a part of the “Super Saturday” event at YSU.

More than 15 partners from the financial-stability partnership will be vendors at this event to provide financial education. Short seminars will be offered to clients being served as they wait to have their taxes prepared.

The goal is to assist each family in making responsible fiscal decisions with not only their tax-return money but for their financial future, officials said.

VITA offers free assistance to taxpayers, including but not limited to people with disabilities, students and older taxpayers who file Form 1040EZ, Form 1040A, or a basic Form 1040 Federal tax return.

VITA volunteers also alert taxpayers to special credits and deductions for which they may be eligible. Taxpayers who visit a VITA site should bring wage and earnings statements (Form W-2) from all employers, interest statements from banks (Forms 1099), a copy of last year’s tax return if available, and other relevant information about income and expenses. Taxpayers with complex returns may need to see an accountant.

Working individuals and families also may be eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit. The IRS estimates that 20 percent of eligible taxpayers do not claim the credit, which could put as much as $5,372 into the pockets of a family with two children. Some individuals and families may qualify for the credit for the first time because of unemployment or other changes in their financial, marital or parental status during the past year.

Tax Counseling for the Elderly, or TCE, is another IRS-sponsored, available free income-tax service.

VITA and TCE volunteers complete an IRS training course in basic income-tax return preparation before they can assist taxpayers.

Last year, more than 3,000 individuals and families in Mahoning County took advantage of the free tax sites resulting in more than $3 million dollars in refunds and fee savings.

For the past seven years, United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley has offered support to the VITA program that has allowed for additional volunteers and sites throughout the county.