It’s tax season and for some individuals and families, paying for tax preparation can be difficult.
But four Valley tax preparation centers will help alleviate that burden for many this year.
The Connecticut Association for Human Services (CAHS) will work with the IRS to open four free tax preparation centers this week in Derby and Shelton.
Households earning less than $50,000 per year can have their tax returns prepared for free and learn whether they’re eligible for tax credits or refunds, said Shannon Houston of CAHS.
The centers will be open at:
- TEAM, Inc.‘s headquarters at 30 Elizabeth St. in Derby.
- Derby Neck Library, 307 Hawthorne Avenue in Derby.
- Plumb Memorial Library, 65 Wooster Street in Shelton
- Huntington Branch Library, 41 Church Street in Shelton
The Plumb Memorial Library location in Shelton will serve as a walk-in free tax center. The other free tax centers will operate by appointment.
Houston said interested residents can call the United Way’s 2 – 1‑1 Infoline or visit www.ctfreetaxhelp.org for details about hours and locations.
Houston announced the four tax preparation centers at a press conference Wednesday morning at the main office for TEAM, Inc., an organization that works to eliminate poverty in the Valley.
The centers are staffed with IRS-certified volunteers, who can help families and individuals save up to $150 in tax preparation fees, Houston said.
“This is money that can really make a difference for working families,” Houston said.
Houston coordinates the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) for CAHS. The program is a state and nationwide initiative that helps families earning less than $50,000 per year access refunds and tax credits. Essentially, the program helps connect people to financial education, Houston said.
All of the organizations helping with free tax preparation formed a coalition last year under the name of the Lower Naugatuck Valley Community Coalition for Financial Security.
Houston said the coalition helps many families understand their qualifications for the earned income tax credit, a federal credit for low-to-moderate income families. Those who qualify for the credit can earn about $5,600 depending on income and family size.
Connecticut filers can also qualify for Connecticut’s new state earned income tax credit in 2012, earning up to $1,700 depending on family income and size.
“For some families in the Naugatuck River Valley, that money can make a huge difference,” said state Rep. Linda Gentile, who attended the press conference.
That coalition was officially created last year to help better coordinate free tax services in the Valley, but separately some of the locations were offering free tax preparation services for many years.
Plumb Memorial Library in Shelton, for example, has been offering free tax services for over 20 years, said Al Klavins.
Klavins helps coordinate the free tax service program at the library and he’s worked as a tax preparation volunteer for almost 14 years, he said.
The library served about 200 people last year, Klavins said.
“The fact that some of these people have a friendly face to talk to can help so much,” he said.
The coalition served about 600 people collectively in 2011, Houston said. They expect to serve more people this year.
