[{"_1":2,"_76":-5,"_77":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6255850,"mediaKeyId","3161606-1a98740a9e36f81f976c3f438d7a86fd","parentId",3161606,"title","Oregon’s tax infrastructure grant program helped file 14,246 returns in 2024; officials cite need to expand beyond Portland area","audioSeconds",2415,"startMs",50805,"endMs",2465885,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3161606-1a98740a9e36f81f976c3f438d7a86fd&start=50&end=2465","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3161606-1a98740a9e36f81f976c3f438d7a86fd/thumbnail_50805.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6255850/Oregon/Oregons-tax-infrastructure-grant-program-helped-file-14246-returns-in-2024-officials-cite-need-to-expand-beyond-Portland-area","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6255850-49b39e61cd29d642b2d9857d737d0559/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154003&Signature=Z8i-We1rS0f4o7PsyIhU8rVmL2Z386IUdPgaNX8TLenWcrcCKW8FW-EsbBL01T91tJnIQdcgLOkrEIxpeM91YVsJdiuMi50fpVrqXWHthBA~GsB4mpoO2EmfwwepaKEilH04fMIvI2a4KEA7noH1o1C3xGHOhqhnz7wmDe6aVwT8Fls3PpbEHvMDtX1bimqcwhejEaLAMcgYS8w9bh8FMSAEbmWNH8-3PvXxKz5ZR7yzvHVRcbO-Ez8Vz5SxsYakp4Ix~awmhyCIlrtobm2R6sTOOgppC256dp59mHwl76P1v5Sg66HUEgQ9JPLnvb6poBFx-3uO1V12BbtlLWKY4A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oregon State Legislature","date","2025-04-30T00:00:00Z","article","The Oregon Department of Human Services told the Joint Human Services Subcommittee on April 30 that its tax infrastructure grant program helped file 14,246 current- and prior-year returns in the 2024 season and brought millions in federal refunds to Oregon families.

Jessica Amaya Hoffman, deputy director for Self-Sufficiency Programs at the Oregon Department of Human Services, said the program was designed to reach households that otherwise miss important tax credits. “For a single-parent household making $40,000 a year, $3,000 isn't just a number. It's a meaningful addition to a family's stability, flexibility, and security,” she told the committee.

The program was created in 2022 by the Legislature through House Bill 4117 and initially was funded with a $4,000,000 general-fund appropriation, officials said. Meg Reinholdt, program coordinator for the tax infrastructure grant program at ODHS, said the 2024 season — the program's second full season — showed rapid growth after grants began in 2023.

“The measure appropriated $4,000,000 general fund to establish the tax infrastructure grant program,” Reinholdt said. She told members that grantees roughly tripled their 2022 filing numbers to reach 14,246 returns in 2024 and that ODHS projects around 20,000 returns for the 2025 season.

Why it matters: tax credits such as the federal earned income tax credit (EITC) and state credits can move low-income households out of poverty and return federal dollars directly into Oregon's economy, ODHS officials said. Program filings in 2024 included about $4.2 million in earned income tax credits and more than $15 million in federal refunds overall, according to the agency's presentation.

How the program works: grants are five-year awards that explicitly prioritize culturally specific and culturally responsive organizations, tribal governments, and rural community organizations. Most grantees operate under IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) oversight and use TaxSlayer software; a small number operate under AARP tax-aid or, in one tribal example, pay a CPA to serve tribal members.

Reinholdt described services that now include year-round help, virtual filing options and in-person clinics. “Northwest Family Services has navigators that walk taxpayers through the whole process, which can actually take weeks,” she said, describing how navigators help with ID validation, document uploads and translation while a remote preparer completes a return.

Program outcomes and operations: officials said grantees operate roughly 36 regular sites (not counting pop-up clinics), provide services in about 20 languages, and run student internship programs that hire college students as paid tax preparers. ODHS highlighted pilot work at high schools where students prepare returns using IRS-approved software; the high-school pilot served students in 2024 and will continue for at least two more years.

Student pipeline: MFS Cash Oregon hired 35 students in 2024 from several colleges for paid internships; students received 40 hours of training, $15 an hour (with bilingual differentials) and mentoring. Oregon State University and Western Oregon University have expanded or created campus VITA programs that pay students for tax-preparation work; ODHS said OSU has become a major campus employer in this effort.

Unmet need and geography: agency staff emphasized substantial unserved demand outside the Portland metropolitan area and the Willamette Valley. The agency's zip-code mapping shows concentrated services in Portland/Valley areas and large swaths of Oregon with little or no local coverage, particularly Eastern Oregon, Southern Oregon and many coastal areas. Reinholdt said grantees reported many taxpayers travel long distances to access services.

Program limits and expansion prospects: grants run for five years and are scheduled to reopen for applications after the 2027 tax season. Reinholdt said there is no plan to expand the program without additional funding and noted advocates had proposed larger funding packages during prior legislation. “One option, depending on the amount of dollars, is really to just create super sites,” Reinholdt said, describing sites that could process 3,000–5,000 returns and attract travel from underserved areas.

Reporting and continuity: committee members asked about annual reporting. Reinholdt said the agency has produced at least one report and that annual reporting is expected while noting reports could be affected by staff turnover: “If I'm the staff person for the foreseeable future forever, because I love this program, I will do a report every year,” she said.

Staff and committee questions focused on capacity. ODHS estimated current funding supports about 20,000 returns annually and that organizers expect to reach about 25,000 in the near term by using rolled-over funds, but that sustaining or increasing reach would require more funding. Officials said grantees vary in per-site efficiency because culturally specific services often require more intensive, one-on-one assistance and travel or lodging supports for tribal and rural clinics.

What remains uncertain: ODHS officials said the program's success also depends on complementary federal funding. Some grantees receive separate IRS grants through VITA; those federal grants and the IRS application portal's availability could affect local capacity. The agency is compiling additional program data for a 2025 report due in December.

The hearing was informational; no formal action or vote occurred. ODHS officials closed their presentation after committee questions and the subcommittee adjourned.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Joint Committee On Ways and Means Subcommittee On Human Services 04/30/2025 1:00 PM","oneSentenceSummary","The Oregon Department of Human Services told the Joint Human Services Subcommittee on April 30 that its tax infrastructure grant program helped file 14,246 current- and prior-year returns in the 2024 season and brought millions in federal refunds to Oregon families.","taxTitle","Human Services, Ways and Means, Joint, Committees, Legislative, Oregon","taxId",18635,"location","Oregon","headline","","shortSummary","actionData","errors"]

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Oregon’s tax infrastructure grant program helped file 14,246 returns in 2024; officials cite need to expand beyond Portland area