Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
VITA is a free, IRS-sponsored program to help low and middle-income workers have their federal and State personal income taxes prepared and filed electronically at no cost. VITA also ensures that workers receive all the tax credits to which they are entitled.
Many people eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or Child Tax Credit (CTC) don’t feel comfortable filling out tax forms themselves. However, commercial tax preparers charge significant fees to prepare a return and offer services that can otherwise be provided at no cost at a VITA site. People eligible for EITC and CTC have a no-cost option — they can have their returns prepared and filed at a VITA site.
VITA starts in January and ends in April.
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
The Federal, New York State and New York City Earned Income Tax Credits (EITCs) are refundable tax benefits for working people with low or moderate incomes. They have several important purposes:
- to reduce the tax burden on low or moderate income workers
- to supplement wages
- to provide a genuine incentive for working.
Workers who qualify for the EITCs and file Federal and State tax returns can get back some or all of the income tax that was withheld during the year. They may also get extra cash back from the IRS, New York State and New York City if their EITCs are higher than the taxes they owe.
For more information on EITC or the Federal Child Tax Credit go to:
