Free Tax Preparation for Working Families
Low- to moderate-income working families can receive free tax preparation services through April 18 at sites in Dauphin, Cumberland and Perry counties.
The effort is part of the Money in Your Pocket Campaign, a community collaboration of organizations committed to the economic stability of local families. The program aims to increase use of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), and the Child Tax Credit (CTC). The EITC is a tax refund offered by the federal government to supplement wages for low-income workers.
Volunteers will prepare computerized, electronic returns through the Internal Revenue Service’s Volunteer Tax Income Assistance (VITA) program, which is designed to provide low-income families with help completing federal and state returns, and obtaining tax credits. This year, people who earned wages of less than $54,000 may be eligible for assistance.
In addition to our volunteer assisted preparation, Money in Your Pocket will also offer free assisted and unassisted tax preparation through MyFreeTaxes.com for taxpayers who made less than $64,000. More information about these options can be found online at uwcr.org.
“Last year, 260 Money in Your Pocket volunteers helped file 5,332 returns, resulting in more than $5.1 million returned to local working families,” said Heidi Neuhaus, director of United Way of the Capital Region’s Volunteer Center. “This helped individuals and families increase their income by an average of six percent.”
The Money in Your Pocket campaign program is funded by U.S. Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, and PNC Bank.
"This program is vital to helping individuals and families keep more of their hard earned dollars," said Adrienne Squillace, assistant vice president, PNC Community Development Banking. "PNC is proud to continue supporting free tax preparation services that help strengthen the financial stability of low- and moderate-income households."
PNC Bank is offering the ability at two MIYP sites for tax filers to receive refunds through a preloaded debit card that can be used fee-free within the PNC and Allpoint ATM networks.
For more information and a list of tax sites, visit www.uwcr.org/miyp. You can also contact LaTasha Frye, United Way of the Capital Region’s community impact manager of income, at 717.724.4068, or by e-mail at lfrye@uwcr.org.
