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Volunteers needed for free tax prep campaign

2 min read

United Way of Allegheny County, now part of United Way of Southwestern PA, in partnership with the Money in Your Pocket Coalition (MIYPC), is recruiting volunteer tax preparers to support the 2016 Free Tax Preparation Campaign. More than 100 volunteers are still needed to commit three or more hours each week to prepare tax returns for hard working, low-wage earning families and individuals beginning in January through mid-April.

Any individual who is comfortable using a computer and working with people is eligible to volunteer; no prior tax preparation experience is necessary. United Way and the MIYPC partner with the IRS to provide free, thorough tax training and resources for all volunteers, including both in-person and online training modules. Training is based on each volunteer’s tax experience and prepares volunteers to pass an IRS certification test prior to starting at a tax site. New volunteers complete two days of tax law and software training. New volunteers with accounting experience may qualify for condensed training.

Last year in Allegheny County, 278 volunteers dedicated more than 15,000 hours to help prepare nearly 7,800 tax returns, which delivered over $11.9 million in refunds back to local residents, including nearly $5.6 million in Earned Income Tax Credits. Additionally, continuing education credits are available for CPAs, paid preparers and enrolled agents, as well as attorneys. Internship opportunities (both credit and non-credit) are available for undergraduate, graduate and law students.

Volunteers must sign up before Jan. 15, 2016. More information is available at swpafreetaxes.org.

Appointments for free tax preparation can be made beginning Jan. 13 by dialing 2-1-1 or visiting www.pa211sw.org. 2-1-1 resource navigators will schedule free tax preparation appointments and make service referrals for the six counties in the MIYPC (Allegheny, Fayette, Greene, Lawrence, Washington and Westmoreland), and will serve as a resource for free tax preparation assistance for 11 counties throughout Southwestern PA. Households with a total annual income up to $54,000 may qualify for free in-person tax preparation; free online tax assistance is available for individuals and families with a total annual income up to $62,000.

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