United Way VITA volunteers

Free tax preparation appointments are now available through the United Way.

The United Ways of Chautauqua County are again offering the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, or VITA, for individuals who make less than $73,000 a year, persons with disabilities, people over 60 years of age, or people who are limited English speakers.

VITA utilizes local volunteers, certified by the IRS, to prepare income tax returns at no charge.
United Way officials say the goal of VITA is to ensure that 100% of the refund amount is returned to the taxpayer. Last year, the VITA program generated $2,242,278 in refunds, with volunteers logging more than 3,500 hours of service to the community.

Traditional in-person appointments and drop off sites for virtual tax preparation are available across Chautauqua County. Common issues that cannot be addressed by the VITA Program include income from rental property, farming, or businesses which manage an inventory or show a loss for the tax year. VITA Volunteers will determine if any items are out of scope at time of service.

Pre-scheduling is required for both in person and drop off appointments:

• The Prendergast Library
• Community Connections at Findley Lake (drop off only)
• Sinclairville Library
• United Way of Southern Chautauqua County (drop off only)
• Mayville Library
• Silver Creek Library
• United Way of Northern Chautauqua County
• SUNY Fredonia Technology Incubator
• Westfield YWCA

To schedule an appointment for free tax assistance, dial 2-1-1 or call toll-free at 888-696-9211. You can also text your zip code to 898211 (messaging and data rates apply.) A service representative will then direct you to the appropriate location to schedule your appointment.
Once your appointment is confirmed, please bring the following:

• Proof of identification (photo ID.)
• Social Security cards for you, your spouse, and dependents.
• An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) assignment letter may be substituted for you, your spouse, and your dependents if you do not have a Social Security number.
• Birth dates for you, your spouse, and dependents on the tax return.
• Wage and earning statements (Form W-2, W-2G, 1099-R,1099-NEC, 1099-MISC) from all employers.
• Unemployment statement
• Interest, dividend, and brokerage statements from banks (Forms 1099.)
• Education and student loan documents (1098T, 1098E)
• A copy of last year’s federal and state returns, if available.
• Proof of bank account routing and account numbers for direct deposit such as a blank check.
• Total paid for daycare provider and the daycare provider’s tax identifying number such as their Social Security number or business Employer Identification Number.
• Form 1095-A.
• Copies of income transcripts from IRS and state, if applicable.
• To file taxes electronically on a married-filing-joint tax return, both spouses must be present to sign the required forms.

In lieu of an appointment, taxpayers can also use the self-preparation portal at http://www.MyFreeTaxes.com

EDITOR’S NOTE: As a point of transparency and disclosure to our audience, United Way of Southern Chautauqua County is a corporate underwriter for WRFA and has provided a financial contribution for the general operations of the station within the past year. Funding we receive for General Operations is not used to fund our coverage of local news in the community. That is only made possible through a Community Service Grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. 

Taxpayers either visited a traditional VITA preparation site, opted for virtual preparation, or completed their tax returns using MyFreeTaxes.com.

For the first time this year, United Way of Northern Chautauqua County and United Way of Southern Chautauqua County shared a VITA Program Administrator, who provided support and coordination to 58 volunteers. These volunteers prepared taxes, assisted with intake information, and provided site coordination—logging more than 3,500 hours of service to the community.

In addition, United Way collaborated with the Southern Chautauqua Federal Credit Union, who shared 6 volunteers with the VITA program, providing translation services and tax return preparation. The Southern Chautauqua Federal Credit Union program prepared more than 780 tax returns.

WRFA’s Julia Ciesla-Hanley spoke with United Way of Southern Chautauqua County Executive Director Amy Rohler and United Way Finance and Administration Manager Lisa Sunday about the VITA program.

VITA Volunteers

VITA Income Tax appointments are now available in Chautauqua County.

The United Way of Southern Chautauqua County Executive Director Amy Rohler said the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program was created by Congress about 50 years ago, “It was meant to really make sure that people who were eligible and households that were eligible had a way to get their taxes done for free by a certified individual who is a volunteer. And it’s been going strong for a long time just nationally and in Chautauqua County I believe it’s been more than 20 years.”

Households that make $73,000 or less qualify for the free service in Chautauqua County.

United Way Finance and Administration Manager Lisa Sunday said there are some things the volunteers are unable to do as part of the tax preparation, including document retention, “Because we’re volunteers and the program doesn’t retain any documents from year to year. So things like depreciation on a home business expenses and things like that we’re not allowed to do, so no farms, no business losses greater and no business expenses greater than $25,000. So we can even see some small businesses.”

In 2021, VITA volunteers in Chautauqua County prepared and filed income taxes for more than 466 households, generating $648,239 in refunds.

Traditional in-person appointments and drop off sites for virtual tax preparation are available across Chautauqua County. Appointments are required for both in person and drop off appointments:

• The Prendergast Library
• Community Connections at Findley Lake (drop off only)
• Sinclairville Library
• United Way of Southern Chautauqua County (drop off only)
• Mayville Library
• Silver Creek Library
• United Way of Northern Chautauqua County
• SUNY Fredonia Technology Incubator
• Westfield YWCA

In-person tax preparation is available only to individuals who are vaccinated against COVID-19. Masks are required for in-person and drop-off preparation regardless of vaccination status.

To schedule an appointment for free tax assistance, dial 2-1-1 or call toll-free 1-888-696-9211. You can also text your zip code to 898211.

For over a decade, the VITA program has helped thousands of local taxpayers collect millions of dollars in tax refunds. It’s sponsored each year by the Chautauqua County Earned Income Tax Credit Coalition. Throughout the tax season, IRS-trained volunteers prepare returns for income-eligible residents, helping them qualify for credits, including the Earned Income Tax Credit. 

To qualify for the program, working families must have earned less than $50,000 in 2012. VITA sites will be staffed through April 15th in Jamestown, Falconer, and Sinclairville. All sites require an appointment by dialing 2-1-1.

Eligible residents can also file their own returns for free by visiting www.uwayscc.org, and clicking on the VITA link on the homepage. Most returns are filed electronically, with refunds in as little as ten days.