United Way Windham News

Ladies and Gentlemen, sharpen your pencils!
United Way’s VITA TAX PROGRAM needs volunteers

Are you good with numbers and patient with paperwork? Can you commit 4 hours per week during tax season? Windham County United Way needs you! We are looking for a few volunteers to lower income families prepare their taxes. This is an important UW program that returns tens of thousands of dollars to our community in tax refunds. Full training provided; no tax prep experience needed. Learn more below!

Once again this tax season, United Way of Windham County and SEVCA (Southeastern Vermont Community Action) will be working in partnership to provide free tax preparation services to lower income residents in Windham County. Our goal is to assist area residents to take full advantage of tax credits available to them. In return they will benefit from increased dollars available to them to help meet their financial needs and that of their families.

Not only will individuals have access to increased tax refund dollars through the Earned Income Tax Credit, but many will save money that they might otherwise have been spent on tax preparation services. It is estimated by the IRS that 4 million eligible individuals annually fail to file for tax credits in this country, forfeiting $2.9 billion in tax refunds. As the issue of poverty increases we feel this simple gesture is one way to intervene in a constructive way.

This service is accomplished solely through volunteer tax preparers. This year we hope to recruit another 10 – 12 volunteers to meet the growing need in our community. We’re looking for individuals who are willing and able to commit to a minimum of one four-hour time slot per week. We anticipate having at least 40 slots to fill. People need not have tax preparation experience. A commitment to training and meeting certification requirements is imperative. Training can be accomplished at weekly sessions to be offered in Brattleboro starting in mid December through mid January, 2010 or at your convenience by using the IRS manual that will be made available to volunteers. On-site training and supervision is available during the actual tax preparation days.

If you think this volunteer opportunity is something you would like to learn more about, please e-mail Kate John at kate@unitedwaywindham.org or Carmen Derby at Carmen@unitedwaywindham.org. You can also call the United Way of Windham County office at 257-4011.