The way Jackson County United Way sees it, people shouldn’t have to pay to get a tax refund.
The money should go into their pocket and not go toward tax preparation fees.
That’s why the organization started offering the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program in 2010 and continues to do so today.
“One of the big things that we hope to accomplish and we see that we do accomplish is for people to be able to keep the money that they have made in their own pocket rather than paying for the high rapid refund fees,” said Bonita Dobbs, program manager for Jackson County United Way.
Through a survey, Dobbs said they learned people were spending an average of $368 for a rapid refund.
“People need that money,” she said.
With VITA, clients don’t pay anything to file their federal and state taxes. By using the service, the United Way reports clients saved $124,752.
The United Way’s 2016 Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed report shows Jackson County’s median household income is $47,758, which is 3.5 percent lower than the state average, and 36 percent of Jackson County households are struggling to afford basic needs.
“Any amount of money that they can keep in their pocket is why this program is so important,” Dobbs said.
The United Way learned people often use their tax refund to fix their car, pay rent, buy groceries, pay medical bills or purchase new shoes or clothes.
“They are not planning extravagant vacations and stuff like that. They are using that to get by day to day,” Dobbs said. “If they pay rent ahead a month, that is a bit of financial stability for them in that moment.”
If your household income is $66,000 or less, you may qualify for the free basic tax preparation service.
For basic filing, some things, such as if a person flips homes or has dividends, are out of the scope of this service, Dobbs said. Filings with health savings accounts, however, can be done.
Registration started Monday, and Dobbs said more than 50 slots have already been filled, so she suggests people call 211 from a landline or 812-376-6666 from a cellphone to make an appointment as soon as possible.
The 211 service is available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Dobbs said people should be patient when calling because the referral service assists people in Jackson, Jennings and Bartholomew counties with a variety of programs and takes many calls.
From Feb. 3 through April 12, Internal Revenue Service-certified tax preparers will file people’s taxes at the Jackson County Public Library, 303 W. Second St., Seymour. Walk-ins are welcome, but those with appointments will be seen first.
Dobbs said the VITA hours at the library will vary, and the appointment schedule be heaviest in February and April. No appointments will be scheduled on Sundays.
To date, 1,870 Jackson County residents have been served, and $1,856,282 has been reclaimed in refunds, according to Jackson County United Way.
During a 2014 surprise IRS field inspection, the program was 100 percent compliant with IRS guidelines.
New this year is a drop-and-go program at the Boys & Girls Club of Seymour, 950 N. O’Brien St.
Families of Boys & Girls Club and Girls Inc. of Jackson County members can stop by the club to have a tax preparer sit with them for about 15 minutes to make sure they have all of the information and paperwork needed to file their taxes. A time would be scheduled for them to return to pick up their documents.
Drop-off appointment times are from 2 to 6 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, and pickup appointments are from 2 to 6 p.m. Feb. 5 and 6.
“One of the big things with this drop-and-go is we want to meet our community where they are,” Dobbs said. “A lot of times, the hours that we have set (at the library) may not be right for the working parent who is at their job and has to pick up their kids real quick. Having the preparers (at the club), it’s meeting them where they are, where they pick up their kids.”
Information will be secured and transported in locked boxes and returned to the filer at the pickup appointment. Dobbs said the three tax preparers that will be there have a combined 25 years of experience.
“They are very well-seasoned, and we’re putting them out there as a pilot to kind of work out the kinks of it,” she said. “We tried to do this at the library, but we only had a couple of people a couple of years ago that were willing to do the drop-and-go. This year, we’ve really developed it much further and have our VITA volunteers much more prepared.”
Another option for people is to file their own taxes online at myfreetaxes.com. While some online tax services offer free federal tax filings but charge for state, Dobbs said the self-driven software supported by H&R Block is a true free service.
“People are scared to do their taxes, so it’s kind of a leap of faith, ‘Yes, I can do that,’” she said. “It’s very user-friendly. We have had former VITA clients who used it and never came back to VITA because they know how to do it now.”
My Free Taxes has been offered locally since 2015, and Jackson County ranks 12th out of 92 counties in Indiana using the online service, according to Jackson County United Way.
Between VITA and My Free Taxes, Jackson County United Way reports 339 clients were served in 2017, receiving $216,357 in federal returns, $30,918 in state returns and $107,944 in earned income tax credit.
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Meet the Jackson County United Way Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Internal Revenue Service-certified preparers:
Crystal Brown, Jackie Sciarra, Jennifer Harris, Jennifer Rorick, Julie Bradley, Linda Hofer, Lisa Amos, Liz Eaken, Mary Koop, Roger Smith and Glenda Johnson
Meet the IRS-certified intake specialists:
Becky Killian, Kay Oathout, Cindy Ruddick, Dana Ruiz and Marianne Willacker
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Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program
When: Feb. 3 through April 12 (hours will vary; service not available Sundays)
Where: Jackson County Public Library, 303 W. Second St., Seymour
Who: If your household income is $66,000 or less, you may qualify for the basic tax preparation service
Cost: Free
Register: Call 211 from a landline or 812-376-6666 from a cellphone from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays to make an appointment; walk-ins are welcome, but those with appointments will be seen first
Drop-and-go program
When: Drop-off appointment times are from 2 to 6 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, and pickup appointments are from 2 to 6 p.m. Feb. 5 and 6
Where: Boys & Girls Club of Seymour, 950 N. O’Brien St.
Who: Families of Boys & Girls Club and Girls Inc. of Jackson County members wanting to file their taxes can stop by the club to have a tax preparer sit with them for about 15 minutes to make sure they have all of the information and paperwork needed to file the taxes; a time would be scheduled for them to return to pick up their documents
Cost: Free
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