THIS STORY COURTESY THE KINGSPORT TIMES-NEWS
By SHARON CASKEY HAYES
shayes@timesnews.net
KINGSPORT — Tired of giving a chunk of your federal income tax refund to a paid preparer?
You may qualify for free tax help through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.
Erica Yoon —eyoon@timesnews.net
LOUETTA HALL, A LONGTIME VOLUNTEER WITH VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance), HELPS JEANNIE HODGES WITH HER TAX INFORMATION INFORMATION AT THE FRESH START CENTER ON THURSDAY.
VITA kicks off tax season next week through the Weed & Seed program at the Fresh Start Center on Martin Luther King Drive in South Central Kingsport. Volunteers trained by the Internal Revenue Service will be on hand to help complete federal income tax returns from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursdays.
VITA officially starts Feb. 2 at the Kingsport Public Library, and IRS-trained volunteers will be on hand there from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays and Fridays.
VITA offers free tax help to lowto moderate-income individuals or families, as well as elderly taxpayers and those with disabilities.
“We just want to get the word out — people can come here and keep their tax refund for themselves instead of paying someone else to do it,” said Joe Durant, VITA site coordinator.
VITA has offered the free tax assistance for several years in Kingsport, and volunteers have seen an increase each year in the number of people seeking help.
In 2007, only 35 people sought help with their federal income tax returns through the Fresh Start Center.
Last year that number jumped to more than 250, and volunteers at the Fresh Start Center helped generate $108,722 in refunds for area residents. Many of those folks qualified for the Earned Income Tax Credit, which helped increase their refund amount.
“Lots of people don’t realize they qualify for that,” said Weed & Seed coordinator Mary Alexander.
Jack VandeVate, who has volunteered with VITA for 18 years, said he and other volunteers helped prepare 350 tax returns at the Kingsport Public Library last year. In addition, he helped prepare another 90 returns for residents at the Kiwanis Towers last year.
Durant said volunteers are expecting even more people to seek tax help this year.
“We expect a dramatic increase this year because you have a lot of people out of work. And with the economy the way it is, people are cutting back and looking to save money. So I think we’ll see an increase,” he said.
Durant said paid tax preparers often charge $35 to $40 for the first page of a tax return, plus an additional charge for each additional page.
Other tax preparers charge a flat percentage of the taxpayer’s refund amount, such as 10 percent of the total return.
“It’s a chunk, and we want people to be able to keep that money,” Durant said.
Louetta Hall is a longtime VITA volunteer and chairwoman of the South Central Community Development Board — the parent of the Weed & Seed program. Hall said many people opt to pay a tax preparer in hopes of getting their refund as quickly as possible.
Durant noted that taxpayers who use the VITA service can get their refund back in about two weeks if they have direct deposit, or in about four weeks if they receive their refund by paper check.
Durant said those seeking help should bring with them their Social Security card, photo identification, all tax documents for 2008, and the amount in rebate stimulus payments they received last year. A copy of last year’s tax return would also be helpful, as well as information on unemployment compensation, if applicable.
Alexander said appointments are not necessary. However, if too many people seek help at the same time, appointments may be given.
South Central Community Development partnered with Eastman Chemical Company and TriSummit Bank this year to receive a $9,385 grant from the IRS to fund the VITA program.
For more information call Alexander at 392-2578 or Durant at 378-2939.
