Local volunteers in the Internal Revenue Service’s Volunteer Tax Assistance (VITA) program will have dedicated laptop computers to use as they begin the 2017 tax season. Greene County Extension and Outreach, which hosts VITA in Greene County, received a grant from the Greene County Community Foundation to purchase computers to help the trained volunteers prepare tax returns quickly and efficiently.
VITA offers free tax preparation to qualifying Iowans. This service allows clients who qualify to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and other credits and keep more of their hard-earned dollars.
By ensuring that residents claim the tax credits for which they are eligible, VITA sites and other outreach efforts help bring hundreds of thousands of dollars into Iowa counties, benefitting entire communities as well as individuals and families.
This flow of income makes a substantial economic impact in local communities. Recipients tend to circulate their refunds though the local economy, creating a ripple effect many times the size of the original refund. Last year, 85 returns were prepared in Greene County, netting $141,580 in federal refund dollars including EITC and $22,794 state dollars including EITC, for a total of $164,374.
Click here for more information about VITA and 2017 income tax filing.
