Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Social Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
United Way outlines free ‘Tax Time’ VITA services for Franklin County residents
Summary
Brandy Cunningham of United Way described the IRS-sponsored VITA and AARP Tax-Aide partnership offering free tax preparation at 20 sites across Franklin County, eligibility for households earning $67,000 or less, legal and financial counseling partnerships, and a large annual event called Super Saturday.
Brandy Cunningham, tax time program coordinator at United Way of Central Ohio, told the Franklin County Board of Commissioners March 18 that the county-supported Tax Time program connects eligible residents with free IRS-sponsored Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and AARP Tax-Aide services.
Cunningham said the program operates 20 sites around Franklin County, many in churches and community organizations, and that volunteers are IRS-trained and vetted. Households earning $67,000 or less qualify for free help; the program focuses on ensuring taxpayers claim the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit and partners with legal aid and a Financial Empowerment Center to provide follow-up help.
She provided outcome figures for recent seasons, saying the program completed more than 14,000 returns last year and returned over $14,000,000 to families. Cunningham described a high-volume seasonal event called Super Saturday (held in partnership with Nationwide Children's Hospital) that completed 175 returns this season with an average refund of about $1,400. She encouraged volunteers and residents to find sites on the United Way website or call 211 to schedule appointments.
Deputy county administrator Joy Bivens said Health and Human Services will share information about Tax Time with agency clients and thanked commissioners for long-standing county support. Commissioners and staff emphasized the program's impact on low- and middle-income households and encouraged volunteer sign-ups.
County staff said further details and site listings are available through United Way’s Tax Time pages and 211.
