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UNITED WAY NCA FUNDS FREE TAX PREPARATION SERVICES TO HELP
LOW-TO-MODERATE INCOME FAMILIES ACCESS EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT (EITC)
Awards Grants to Capital Area Asset Builders and Prince George’s Community College
WASHINGTON, DC, March 13, 2015 – Today, the United Way of the National Capital Area (United Way NCA) announced it has awarded two grants totaling $40,000 to Capital Area Asset Builders (CAAB) and Prince George’s Community College as part of United Way NCA’s ongoing, region-wide investment in programs and initiatives that help individuals and families in the National Capital Area achieve financial stability.
For the past seven years, United Way NCA has worked with partners throughout the region to help low-to-moderate income families access the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), file tax returns and maximize their tax refunds, resulting in a total of more than $70 million in tax refund dollars coming back into the region. Last year, United Way mobilized nearly 1,000 volunteer tax preparers to prepare over 10,000 returns. The resulting fund totaled more than $17.7 million for area residents, including almost $5.9 million from EITC.
“While the greater Washington region has one of the highest percentages of eligible filers taking advantage of the Earned Income Tax Credit,” said United Way NCA Vice President of Community Impact Timothy Johnson, “there are still thousands of households not receiving their maximum refund, either because they are unaware of the EITC, or don’t have access to the tax services to help them apply for it.” This year, United Way NCA support is expected to help nearly 13,000 tax payers access free tax filing services.
The grant awarded to Capital Area Asset Builders (CAAB) will support one-on-one financial coaching for free tax preparation clients at five sites in the DC metro region as well as targeted outreach to residents who are non-English speaking or have limited English literacy and numeracy – in particular, Spanish- and Amharic-speaking residents – so they can be better informed of the EITC and the free tax preparation services available to them. According to CAAB, as many as 25,000 area residents fail to claim the EITC that they are annually eligible for.
The funds awarded to Prince George’s Community College will provide overall tax season and volunteer income tax assistance (VITA) support for Prince George’s County residents through the college’s Community Financial Center and the Prince George’s CASH Campaign. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Prince George’s County has over 60,000 persons that are eligible for the EITC. Free tax preparation services help low-to-moderate income earners access much needed funds through tax refunds, especially as a result of the EITC, and can also shelter them from the predatory practices of certain for-profit tax preparers.
Each year through its funded partners, United Way NCA supports free tax preparation services where IRS-certified volunteers will prepare returns for qualified residents completely free of charge. In addition to providing support to CAAB and Prince George’s Community College, this year United Way NCA also is providing strategic marketing and social media support to Northern Virginia CASH Campaign led by the Fairfax County Department of Family Services.
To learn more about EITC access, free tax filing services and to locate free tax preparation sites in DC, Northern Virginia and Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, please visit http://www.unitedwaynca.org/pages/Free-tax-Preparation.
About United Way of the National Capital Area
Focusing on the critical areas of education, financial stability and health, United Way of the National Capital Area and its nonprofit members not only provide immediate relief of social problems affecting the community, but also work to alleviate the underlying causes of these issues. Serving the District of Columbia, Northern Virginia, and Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties for nearly 40 years, United Way of the National Capital Area works to inspire acts of caring, deliver hope and improve lives. In total, United Way of the National Capital Area raises approximately $30 million each year to address the needs of the community. For more information about United Way of the National Capital Area, visit UnitedWayNCA.org.
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