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FREE TAX HELP – VITA

The VITA program offers free tax help to people who generally make $67,000 or less, persons with disabilities, older adults, and limited English-speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns.

VITA OFFERS FREE TAX HELP

Did you earn less than $63,398 last year? Our VITA program offers free tax help to individuals, families, persons with disabilities, older adults, and limited English-speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals. Please contact your local VITA office for more information.

Earned more than $63,398? You may qualify to file your taxes online.

VITA OFFERS FREE TAX HELP

Did you earn less than $67,000 last year? Our VITA program offers free tax help to individuals, families, persons with disabilities, older adults, and limited English-speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals. Please contact your local VITA office for more information.

Earned more than $67,000? You may qualify to file your taxes online.

File Free Online

WHAT TO BRING

Please be sure to have the following information with you when you visit one of our VITA sites:

PHOTO ID

Taxpayer and spouse if married and filing jointly

Social Security Cards &
Benefit Statements

You, your spouse, and dependents

Birth Dates

You, your spouse, and dependents

Wage & Earning Forms

All W-2, W-2G, and 1099-R Forms

Interest & Dividend Forms

Forms 1099

Total Paid for Childcare

Must provide name, address, and tax ID

Bank Routing & Account Numbers

For direct deposit of refund; voided check will suffice

Spouse

Spouse must be present if married and filing a jointly

Form 1095A from the Marketplace

Identity Protection Theft PIN Number

IP PIN assigned by IRS

Unemployment Compensation

1099G

VIEW THE LATEST VITA BROCHURE

The VITA program offers free tax help to people who generally make $67,000 or less, persons with disabilities, older adults, and limited English-speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their tax returns.

VIEW THE PDF

If amending a return, you will need copy of original return with all tax-related documents and a tax return transcript from IRS and a Wage and Earning Statement for that tax year.

LOCATIONS

IRS-certified volunteers will provide free basic income tax preparation with electronic filing and direct deposit of refunds to qualified individuals. Site types and schedules are self-reported and subject to change. Please call for more information.

DROP-OFF SITE

Taxpayers leave the required documents (e.g., social security numbers, Form W-2) at the site. It is mandatory that all taxpayers return to the site to review, sign, and pick up their completed return with all personal documents before returns can be electronically filed or paper returns can be mailed. 

COMBINATION SITE

Site prepares returns for other permanent or temporary sites and assits walk-in and/or appointment-only taxpayers within their location.

VIRTUAL SITE

Includes non-face-to-face interactions with the taxpayer. This includes sending required documents (e.g., social security numbers, Form W-2) through a secured file-sharing system to a designated volunteer for review.

TRADITIONAL

Taxpayers leave the required documents (e.g., social security numbers, Form W-2) at the site to prepare and/or review the tax return at another location. In this process, the taxpayer’s return information may be sent to another location for one or more of the following reasons: interviewing the taxpayer, preparing the tax return, or performing a quality review. The taxpayer may come back to the intake site for the quality review or to review and sign the completed tax return.

DROP-OFF INSTRUCTIONS
INTAKE FORM

WHY WORK WITH VITA

People in great need often file early – and at great expense – through commercial tax preparation services that charge large fees. We want to spread the word that FREE tax help is available.

By filing returns at local VITA sites, people receive 100% of their refund. And our IRS-trained volunteers can help find special tax credits, like the Earned Income Tax Credit, to maximize your return.

Taxpayers who come to free tax preparation sites can also find out about programs to help leverage their refunds toward the financial success of their families. These asset-building programs provide financial education, homebuyer’s education, down payment assistance, low-interest car loans, and more.

 

QUALIFY FOR FREE TAX HELP?

You May Qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit.

EITC, the Earned Income Tax Credit, sometimes called EIC or Earned Income Credit, is a refundable tax credit. EITC can reduce the federal tax to zero, and any unused credit is refunded. EITC provides a boost to workers, their families, and the communities where they live. It helps with food, gas, clothing, saving for a rainy day, and more. 

To qualify, workers must have taxable income from working for someone or from running a business or farm. Four out of five eligible workers already benefit from the EITC. Yet some people who qualify don’t know it exists or how to claim it.

EITC INCOME LIMITS & RANGE - Investment income must be $11,950 or less

$61,555 ($68,675 If Married Filing Jointly) with 3 or more qualifying children – maximum credit: $8,046

$57,310 ($64,430 If Married Filing Jointly) with 2 qualifying children – maximum credit: $7,152

$50,434 ($57,554 If Married Filing Jointly) with 1 qualifying child – maximum credit: $4,328

$19,104 ($26,214 If Married Filing Jointly) with no qualifying child – maximum credit: $649

MYFREETAXES.COM - FILE FOR FREE ONLINE

MyFreeTaxes.com helps people file their taxes for free while getting the assistance they need. United Way provides MyFreeTaxes in partnership with the VITA program to help filers prepare their tax returns on their own or have their return prepared for them for free.

FILE YOUR FREE TAXES

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Helena Moreno

Campaign Email:  letsgo@helenamorenola.com
Contact Phone Number:  (504) 655-2878


Campaign Website and Social Media Handles
www.helenamorenola.com
@HelenamorenoHQ  |  @helenamorenola

Commitment: If elected, would you dedicate additional funding in the City budget for early care and education?

Yes.

If so, how would you prioritize it in the budget?

Both in the state legislature and city council, I’ve been a strong supporter of bringing early childhood education to New Orleans. In 2018, we allocated the first $1.5M in city funds for additional seats. As Council President, we doubled that to $3M. I was the lead author to put the pre-k millage on the ballot, providing millions more. I will continue this work as mayor. As for additional funding for pre-k, is there anything more important? We have demonstrated to the public that local government can make progress on this issue with increased resources. There are competing priorities, especially when it comes to drainage, but our kids desperately need pre-k, and so do our parents, who are under pressure to be both caregiver and financial provider.

Commitment:  If elected, will you use your power and platform to advocate at the state and federal levels for sustained early childhood funding? If yes, please describe the specific actions you will take to do this.

Yes.

Every leader at the local, state, and federal levels should be working together to provide high-quality early childhood education to our young people. I will always shout from the rooftops about the enormous benefits of Head Start and pre-k, along with Medicaid, SNAP, public housing, and kids’ programming on PBS. As mayor, I will lead a broad intergovernmental relations effort with constant coordination between city leadership, the legislative delegation, and advocates. I don’t think anyone is listening, for now, but that can change. More broadly, this is why the mayoral election is so important. New Orleans needs to stand on its own two feet. No one is coming to rescue us, so we must be strong in the face of unprecedented economic, environmental, and political headwinds.

Commitment: If elected, will you commit to ensuring our early care and education providers can keep their doors open, grow their business, pay a living wage to their teachers, and help ensure families and educators can continue to afford to live in the city? If yes, please describe the specific actions you will take to do this.

Yes.

Child care providers will have a strong supporter in the mayor’s office when I am elected. Our city hall will serve as a hub, connecting needs and resources, with a focus on streamlining red tape for critical service providers, such as those offering child care. It is not enough to have more early childhood seats; we need quality. Even at current levels of local and state funding, pre-K early education programs exist in an environment where low wages are the norm and facilities are often in disrepair. The current climate at the state and federal levels may preclude additional funds. Yet, at the local level, as I mentioned earlier, is there anything more important than pre-k? We have demonstrated to the public that local government can make progress on this issue with increased resources.

Commitment: If elected, would you commit to ensuring essential local workers – including those in city government – can access childcare through local providers, and that private sector employers do their part in ensuring their employees can access the childcare they need to work, be productive, and grow our economy? If yes, please elaborate on how you would fulfill this commitment.

Yes.

I will always advocate amongst employers and at the state level for a real-living wage that can provide for a family. In workplaces across New Orleans and at city hall, I see parents working double time, struggling to keep up due to a lack of child care. Part of the answer is more public school seats for children aged 6 months to 4 years old. For older kids, I want NORD to do more. A lot more. I have been a leader in expanding NORD’s budget to record highs. Now the goal is to maximize services during non-school hours. Summer enrichment is especially crucial to prevent any backslide. In short, I want to usher in a NORD Renaissance, especially after school. This would go a long way, especially for working parents who need a few more critical hours of support before they can leave work.

Commitment: If elected, will you commit to maintaining this office and protecting these investments?

Yes.

How will you ensure these efforts are sustained beyond your term and are prioritized in future budgets?

Yes. I helped lead the effort for early childhood education with Agenda for Children, and I will commit to maintaining and protecting these early childhood investments. They were hard won, and we cannot lose them. If anything, we need an expansion, which will be the key subject of future budgets, which must balance ALL the city’s needs. The bottom line: we must support families, or else they will simply leave, and New Orleans will not have a future.