Income

If you are like most consumers, tax time couldn’t come soon enough. After the grueling expenses of the holiday season, long overdue car repairs, and much-needed summer vacations, consumers are anxious to file their taxes - especially if they expect a refund. 

By now, you have probably seen and heard many commercials advertising Refund Anticipation Loans (RAL) and Refund Anticipation Checks (RAC). These ads tempt with the promise of same-day cash refunds in eye-popping amounts. If you are debating using one of these “convenient” loans, here is what you need to know. 

Vanessa Greenslade, PhD, is United Way of Southeast Louisiana’s resident research and data expert. Vanessa works with our Community Impact team to bring a data-driven approach to our fight for the health, education, and financial stability of every person.

The updated United Way ALICE Report for Louisiana, released earlier this month, shows nearly 1 in 2 Southeast Louisiana (SELA) households (47 percent) struggled to make ends meet in 2016. 

What is VITA?

VITA is the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. It is a program that offers no cost tax filing services to working individuals and families with household income of $54,000 or less.

Where can I go to get my taxes done?

For the past three years, our United Way has been preparing for this moment. The moment when the thinking of policy makers at all levels—donors, advocates, volunteers, United Ways and our partner agencies—aligned. You cannot predict when a moment like that will occur. You simply have to be ready when the opportunity presents itself.

If not, you are fortunate.

But chances are you know someone who is living in poverty. Maybe someone in your neighborhood...perhaps a friend or even a family member.