United Way of Palm Beach County’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, in partnership with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), is looking for 200 volunteers to help provide free tax services throughout Palm Beach County to households with an annual income of $75,000 or less.
This is a great opportunity for CPAs, retired professionals, college students or anyone interested in accounting and finance to make an impact on local families. Also needed are volunteers who are bilingual in Spanish or Creole. Volunteers ages 16 or older may serve as site greeters and earn community service hours.
No prior experience is required. Volunteers will receive training to become IRS-certified tax preparers. All volunteers are asked to provide a minimum of four hours a week from Jan. 18 through April 15, 2024, at one of the several VITA sites in the county. CPAs are not required to undergo IRS training but must pass the IRS certification test.
The VITA program helps Palm Beach County taxpayers save more than $1.6 million in fees they would have paid had they used a tax preparation service. Additionally, research shows that taxpayers receiving refunds through returns processed at VITA sites used the money to achieve financial stability — to pay off debt, invest in education or housing, or open a bank account.
Last year, this program helped process more than 8,000 income tax returns for lower-income households, resulting in more than $2.8 million in Earned Income Tax Credits and $9.6 million in tax refunds.
A program such as VITA not only helps individuals and families in the community, but it also helps the local economy. Since 2003, VITA has returned approximately $277 million to the community.
Partners of the VITA Program include the IRS, 211 Palm Beach/Treasure Coast, the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners/Department of Community Services, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Third Federal.
To become a volunteer, visit www.taxesfiledfree.org or e-mail volunteer@unitedwaypbc.org.
