2012 Free Tax Preparation Asisstance

University Neighborhood Housing Program (UNHP), Fordham Bedford Community Services and Ariva will again offer FREE Income Tax Preparation Services to low and moderate income residents for 2012. Returns are e-filed, which means clients can receive federal refunds in as little as 7-10 business days (with direct deposit), without having to pay for high cost Rapid Anticipation Loans (RALs), Refund Anticipation Checks (RACs), or costly tax preparation fees.

The free service is available for individuals and families whose gross income in 2011 was less than $56,000 with dependents, or $25,000 without dependents.

Our services will be provided on the following Wednesdays and Saturdays by professionally trained Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) preparers by appointment only.

Wednesdays 3PM -8PM	Saturdays 10AM - 4PM
January 25 February 1 February 15 February 29 March 7 March 28 April 4 April 11	January 28 February 4 February 11 February 25 March 24 March 31 April 14

Please call 718-933-2539 to schedule an appointment.

Taxes will be prepared at Refuge House, 2715 Bainbridge Avenue, near E 196th Street in the Bronx.

GET READY Event

Tax season is literally around the corner, and the IRS will start accepting returns on Tuesday, January 17. For many people this can be a stressful time, but with organization and some tips filing is fairly simple.

So come and join us tonight, January 12, at the GET READY Tax Event to get the most out of your 2012 tax refund at Concourse House (2751 Grand Concourse, entrance on E 196th St) from 6:00 – 8:00PM.

Learn about which tax credits you qualify for and the options for receiving your refund without any charges! Find out which method is best for you: NYS prepaid debit card, your personal account or paper check. Also meet with credit union and local banks to ensure you get refund in as little as 7-10 business days with Direct Deposit. There will be financial representatives on site to help you open a free or affordable bank account, so if you do not have one yet or are looking to change accounts/ financial institutions.

All attendees can schedule free tax appointments onsite. For questions and/or to RSVP call UNHP at 718-933-2539.

2011 Program Summary

The 2011 tax season was a record setting year for UNHP’s Free Tax Preparation Assistance Program. With the help of 58 trained volunteers, we were able to assist over 1,082 Bronx residents receive $1,376,646 in refunds while avoiding costly tax preparation fees and RALS. Services were provided on 14 full tax days from our tax site at Refuge House. In addition, we also conducted 6 mobile dates at local senior centers and supportive housing locations where we completed over 100 tax returns for retirees and SSI/SSD recipients on fixed income. By expanding our program to clients on fixed income we were able to file state forms that otherwise would go unclaimed.

The 2011 tax season was a record setting year for UNHP’s Free Tax Preparation Assistance Program. With the help of 58 trained volunteers, we were able to assist over 1,082 Bronx residents avoid costly tax preparation fees and RALS. This represents nearly doubling of the clients we served the previous year and continues the tremendous growth the program has experienced since it first began in 2008. Services were provided on 14 full tax days from our tax site at Refuge House. In addition, we also conducted 6 mobile dates at local senior centers and supportive housing locations where we completed over 100 tax returns for retirees and SSI/SSD recipients on fixed income. By expanding our program to clients on fixed income we were able to file state forms that otherwise would go unclaimed. Extensive outreach helped us schedule over 1,400 appointments.

Background:
UNHP helped to organize free tax preparation services for northwest Bronx residents. Working together with ARIVA and the Food Bank for NYC, as well as neighborhood partners and financial sponsors, local residents making less than $56,000 were able to file their returns without any fees. Every year, Bronx neighborhoods lose millions of dollars in tax preparation fees and refund anticipation loan interest. Much of this coming out of the federal Earned Income Tax Credit.  

Tax refund anticipation loans (RALs) siphoned $54.7 million from the pockets of low income New Yorkers in 2007, according to a report issued last week by the Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project (NEDAP), a New York City-based financial justice group. More than 40% of this amount came from the pockets of Bronx residents, at an estimated cost of nearly $22.5 million.

While the number of RALs made citywide dropped between 2006 and 2007, both the number of RALs and money spent on RALs went up in the Bronx; our borough’s share of NYC dollars spent on RALs jumped from 33% to 41%.

The four top zip codes for money lost to RALs were all in the Bronx, including 10453 which was first in the City at $1.74 million. 10456, 10452 and 10457 rounded out spots two through four.  Also in the top ten citywide were zip codes 10458, 10468 and 10467, each of which saw more than $1 million going towards RALs in 2007.

Read more about this here.

By providing free tax preparation services in these same neighborhoods, much needed money stayed in the pockets of Bronxites.

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