2010 Free Tax Preparation Asisstance
To help Bronxites save by getting their entire refund this tax season, University Neighborhood Housing Program (UNHP) and Ariva will offer FREE Income Tax Preparation Services to low and moderate income residents. Returns are e-filed, which means clients will receive refunds in as little as 10 days, without having to pay unnecessary Rapid Anticipation Loans (RAL), Pay Stub Loan or/and costly tax preparation fees.
The free service is available for individuals and families whose gross income in 2009 was $56,000 or less. Our services are provided on 10 dates from January through April by professionally trained Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) preparers on Wednesdays (from 1:00-7:00 PM) and Saturdays (from 10:00-4:00 PM):
- Saturday January 23
- Wednesday February 3
- Saturday February 6
- Wednesday February 17
- Saturday February 27
- Wednesday, March 3
- Wednesday, March 24
- Saturday March 27
- Wednesday, April 7
- Saturday, April 10
Appointments are needed. Call UNHP at 718-933-2539 to schedule an appointment or for more information.
Taxes will be prepared at Refuge House, 2715 Bainbridge Avenue, near E 196th Street in the Bronx.
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 $72,000 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.In 2006, about one-third of all applications for Refund Anticipation Loans in New York City (more than 71,000 filers) were made by Bronx residents. The total fees paid by these filers for tax preparation, the loans themselves and any other miscellaneous fees totaled approximately $19.5 million dollars, based on calculations made by the Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project using the Consumer Federation of America's estimate of $273 for an average filer. More than 80% of these Refund Anticipation Loan applications were made by low income Bronxites, who paid more than $16 million for these services. Two-thirds of applications came from households who received the Earned Income Tax Credit, one of the largest federal anti-poverty programs.
Even at the neighborhood level, the amount of money paid for tax preparation and Refund Anticipation Loans exceeds $1 million in many northwest Bronx zip codes. For instance, more than 5,600 filers in 10453 spent more than $1.5 million on tax preparation and Refund Anticipation Loans.
By providing free tax preparation services in these same neighborhoods, much needed money stayed in the pockets of Bronxites. Services (provided in both English and Spanish) began in late January 2009 at the Heiskell Enterprise Technology Center in Refuge House, and ran through March. Services were also offered at Mosholu Preservation Corporation and Ridgewood Savings Bank.
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