United Way of Williamson County to offer free tax preparation
IRS-certified tax preparers will provide live help to qualified families
FRANKLIN, Tenn. (Jan. 23, 2018)— Free tax return preparation and filing is just around the corner for families earning low to moderate incomes. United Way of Williamson County’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Free Tax Prep sites will open Saturday.
Families and individuals making $66,000 or less are eligible. Last year, VITA volunteers helped more than 1,200 families with their taxes, resulting in $1,074,461 in total federal refunds coming back to Williamson County families.
United Way of Williamson County (UWWC) supports four VITA sites in the county (locations listed below). Each site is staffed by IRS-certified volunteers who assist with the qualification process and determine if individuals qualify for credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Child Tax Credit and the Credit for the Elderly.
Qualifying for these credits can mean that working families and individuals may keep more of what they earn. In 2016 alone, Tennesseans received more than $1.7 billion in EITC refunds. In addition to free tax preparation assistance, the sites offer free electronic filing, which allows refunds to be directly deposited into a person’s bank account.
Qualified families who are unable or do not wish to go to one of the VITA Free Tax Prep sites can also file their income taxes for free online by visiting DoMyTaxes.org. Free tax filing software is provided by H&R Block.
This can save filers hundreds of dollars, with recent IRS numbers showing Americans pay an average of $261 to file through alternate preparation methods.
To see if you qualify for free tax preparation, dial 2-1-1, a community hotline providing free, 24-hour access for information and referrals, or call 615-830-7940 to schedule an appointment. For more information, visit uwwc.org/vita.
Locations
- Williamson County Public Library
1314 Columbia Avenue
Franklin, Tenn. 37064
Mon. and Wed. 1-6 p.m.
Sat. 9 a.m. to noon
(Exceptions: Feb. 3, March 3, March 17 and March 31, VITA Free Tax Prep will instead be held at the Williamson County Enrichment Center)
- Historic Triangle School
7120 Westview Drive
Fairview, Tenn. 37062
Tues. 3-7 p.m.
Sat. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (by appointment only)
- FiftyForward College Grove
8607 Horton Highway
College Grove, Tenn. 37046
Thurs. 9 a.m. to noon (by appointment only)
- GraceWorks Ministries
104 Southeast Parkway Suite 100
Franklin, Tenn. 37064
Tues. and Thurs. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Items to bring
- Government-issued photo identification
- Last year’s tax return
- Original Social Security cards or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) for each family member on the return
- W-2s, 1099 and other income statements
- Healthcare form 1095-A, -B or -C health care statement
- Direct Deposit information
- Your spouse, if filing jointly
About United Way of Williamson County
United Way of Williamson County is committed to creating real change and measurable improvements in the day-to-day lives of thousands of people. We bring together people, companies and organizations from across our local community to identify and support solutions to our most critical issues. Serving Williamson County for 56 years, United Way of Williamson County fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in our community by engaging in collaborative partnerships throughout the community. To live better, we must Live United. To find out more, please visit uwwc.org or call (615) 771-2312.
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