Volunteer Income Tax Assistance

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) is a program supported by the IRS that provides people who make $56,000 or less with free assistance in preparing their own tax returns. IRS-certified volunteers provide free income tax return preparation to eligible individuals.

The Ferguson Road Initiative wrote and was awarded the first IRS funded grant in 2005. Since this date FRI’s role with VITA has transitioned into one of support for partners who manage and coordinate these tax services. We help recruit volunteer tax preparers, greeters, and translators, as well as communicating VITA services to our area residents.

Not only does tax assistance help underserved populations in our community by providing free consultation and e-filing, but it also saves money for taxpayers in general by increasing tax return accuracy and streamlining the process. VITA is an important program that has helped decrease the number of families who would otherwise be prey to predatory lenders.