Volunteers sought for United Way's free tax assistance program

GREENVILLE — United Way of Greenville County is looking for volunteers to help provide free tax preparation services during the upcoming tax season.

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, or VITA, is a United Way financial stability program that offers free tax preparation and filing services to individuals and families with a household income below $60,000. Volunteers receive free training and are certified by the IRS to ensure that VITA users receive all eligible tax credits and deductions.

Last year, 380 community volunteers—including high school students, retirees, business leaders, stay-at-home parents and others community members just looking to give back—contributed more than 8,000 hours of service (an estimated value of $166,000), helping more than 9,000 taxpayers file their taxes for free.

“In addition to being a flexible and fun volunteer project, VITA volunteers get the benefit of having a very real and immediate impact on the lives of the people we serve,” said United Way Financial Stability and Outreach Specialist Craig Shoemaker. “Our volunteers end the tax season with a warm heart and a feeling of satisfaction knowing they’ve helped people build a Cycle of Success through financial stability.”

Volunteers are needed for the following positions:

• Volunteer Tax Preparers help people prepare their tax returns and ensure all eligible tax deductions and credits are claimed.

• Volunteer Greeters/Screeners welcome VITA participants to the site and verify all necessary forms are available.

• Volunteer Site Coordinators manage the operations of the United Way VITA site, including volunteer staff and quality control.

• Volunteer Interpreters assist taxpayers who have limited English proficiency. VITA is currently seeking Spanish interpreters.

For more information, or to volunteer, visit www.vitavolunteer.org.