Volunteers needed for United Way’s IRS-approved free tax preparation sites

unitedwayAs part of United Way’s IRS-approved Free Tax Preparation Program in 2015, volunteers are needed to help Snohomish County working families keep more of what they earn.

All volunteers will receive training from United Way and will become certified by the IRS. In addition to tax preparers, United Way is also looking for volunteer greeters and intake screeners, who do not need to pass tax law tests. Multilingual individuals are especially needed.

The deadline for volunteer registration is Nov. 30. Trainings will be held in December and January. Each volunteer will be asked to contribute three to five hours a week, volunteering at a location of their choice, from Jan. 20 until April 14. For more information and to volunteer, please visit uwsc.org and click on “Volunteer.”

In 2014, 100 volunteers dedicated nearly 4,000 hours to United Way of Snohomish County’s Free Tax Preparation Program. Volunteers prepared 3,489 tax returns and helped families claim upwards of $5.8 million in federal refunds, including $1.9 million in Earned Income Tax Credits. In all, United Way volunteers saved customers an estimated $557,000 in tax preparation fees at the six tax preparation sites in Snohomish County.

Since 2007, United Way volunteers have prepared over 15,000 tax returns throughout Snohomish County and have helped Snohomish County working families claim $26.1 million in refunds.

United Way of Snohomish County will operate three Free Tax Preparation Program sites in Everett and one in each of the towns of Lynnwood, Monroe and Marysville from Jan. 20 to April 14, 2015.

At the free tax preparation sites, customers will also be able to sign up for public benefits and learn about opportunities to make the most of their tax refunds. The Free Tax Preparation Program will provide taxpayers with information about asset building resources such as credit counseling, savings bonds and health care options, as well.

The Boeing Company, Washington State Department of Commerce, Goodwill, and the Internal Revenue Service are United Way’s Free Tax Preparation Program’s primary sponsors and partners.

Other components of the program include access to public benefits and other wealth building products and services.

To find out more about United Way of Snohomish County, including how you can find help, how to volunteer and how United Way serves the community, please visit: uwsc.org.

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