Through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals. If you earn less than $60,000 you may be eligible to have your tax returns filed for free and qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

In collaboration with our community partners and VITA sites, we provide low-income residents with free tax preparation assistance to help them maximize available credits and receive tax refunds.

Last year, over 600 households turned to the 211 Susquehanna River Region Contact Center to schedule tax assistance appointments with United Way of Broome County and DSS; in total, $1,087,781 in tax refunds were processed, with an additional estimated savings of over $182,700 in tax prep costs to participants, based on IRS estimates. The total value provided to the community was $1,327,692.80 when combining savings in tax prep fees, refunds, and in-kind value and time.

Additionally, United Way of Broome County has partnered with MyFreeTaxes.com to provide a free online filing service for households making less than $60,000 per year. This service is absolutely FREE. Go to www.myfreetaxes.com to file your federal and state tax returns.