United Way of Lancaster County is once again offering the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program to prepare federal, state and local income tax returns for free.
United Way of Lancaster County's VITA Program is one of more than 12,000 VITA programs across the country that the IRS relies on to help people file their taxes every year, completely free of charge. Last year, United Way of Lancaster County's IRS-certified volunteers helped more than 10,000 individuals and families in Lancaster County complete their tax returns. VITA saved Lancaster County residents more than $2.7 million in tax prep fees, and more than $12.4 million in refunds went into their bank accounts.
VITA provides free tax preparation services, including federal, state and local returns, to taxpayers who make less than $62,000 and who live, work or go to school in Lancaster County. The volunteer tax preparers at United Way's free tax preparation sites understand the 2018 TCJA (tax reform). They go through at least 40 hours of training and are certified by the IRS. The purpose of the program is to provide customers with high-quality, professional, personal service by trained volunteers who are equipped to identify tax refund opportunities for customers.
The IRS announced that it would delay issuing refunds for taxpayers claiming the EITC and ACTC until Feb. 15. The law is designed to help the IRS find and stop fraud. However, the IRS notes that these refunds likely will not arrive in bank accounts or on debit cards until late February. Even though refunds may be delayed, taxpayers are still encouraged to file as early as possible.
The county's VITA sites began opening on Jan. 22. Sites include Community Action Partnership, 601 S. Queen St., Lancaster; United Way of Lancaster County, 630 Janet Ave., Lancaster; Trinity Lutheran Church, 31 S. Duke St., Lancaster; Ephrata VITA Office, located in the Ephrata Library "Exploratorium," 560 S. Reading Road, Ephrata; Millersville University, McComsey Hall, 43 E. Frederick St., Millersville; Hempfield United Methodist Church, 3050 Marietta Ave., Lancaster; Columbia Community Life Network (CLN), 336 Locust St., Columbia; Factory Ministries Youth Center, 3293 Lincoln Highway East, Paradise; Lancaster Campus of HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College, 1641 Old Philadelphia Pike, Lancaster; Elizabethtown Community Place on Washington, 61 E. Washington St., Elizabethtown; Manheim Borough Office, located in the same building as the Manheim Library, 15 E. High St., Manheim; Elizabethtown College, 1 Alpha Drive, Elizabethtown; office of state Rep. Steve Mentzer, 1555 Highlands Drive, Lititz; Garden Spot Village, 433 S. Kinzer Ave., New Holland; and Lancaster Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, 2270 Old Philadelphia Pike, Lancaster.
To schedule an appointment at one of VITA's tax preparation sites around Lancaster County or get more information, taxpayers should call 2-1-1 to speak with one of United Way's trained information and referral specialists. For VITA locations, eligibility requirements and other details, readers may visit http://www.FreeTaxPrepLancaster.org. VITA also offers a free online program that allows taxpayers to file federal and state tax returns at http://www.MyFreeTaxes.com.
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