Legal Aid of NC to offer free tax service for low-income
families
December 20, 2007 Media Release
(Raleigh,
NC) – Tax season is nearly here
and Legal Aid
of North Carolina (LANC) is reaching out to its clients and
other low-income persons to provide free, personal income tax return
preparation assistance.
“Eligible taxpayers in North Carolina
lose
between
$93 million and $176 million
of their own money
each year
because they do not claim federal taxes
due
back
to them through the
Earned Income Tax Credit
(EITC).
Some working families lose even more money because
they
pay
high fees for tax preparation services
and short-term,
high-interest,
refund anticipation loans.”
(www.eitc-carolinas.org)
|
To qualify for this free service, a family has to have made under
$40,000.
"Whether a person worked all year or just a part of the year, they
can use this free service," said Willette Crews, LANC’s
Tax
Assistance Project coordinator.
The service is sponsored by LANC with the IRS providing oversight under its
VITA (“Volunteer Income Tax Assistance”) Program. Trained volunteers will be able to help with special credits, such
as Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC),
which is refundable federal income tax credit for low-income working
individuals and families.
"We want people to take advantage of this free service," said Crews.
"Family budgets are tight and this directly benefits families by
saving them money."
In addition to free tax return preparation assistance, LANC
will also offer free electronic filing (e-filing). Individuals
taking advantage of the e-file program will receive their refunds in
half the time compared to returns filed on paper – even faster if
you have your refund deposited directly into your bank account.
Tax preparation services will take place by appointment at 20 LANC
offices across North Carolina.
Appointments for tax preparation can be scheduled by calling LANC’s
toll-free telephone number, 1-866-219-LANC (1-866-219-5262) or by
calling local LANC
offices.
Additional information on the LANC Tax Assistance Program (TAP) may
be found on the LANC Internet website,
https://www.legalaidnc.org/Public/Participate/TAP/default.aspx.
Legal Aid of
North Carolina (LANC) is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that
provides free legal services in civil matters to eligible,
low-income people in all 100 counties in North
Carolina
through 24, geographically located offices in North Carolina. LANC’s clients
typically have an annual income of 125% or less of the federally
established poverty levels.
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Attachment:
Flier: "LANC Tax Assistance Project"
CONTACTS:
Willette Crews
(Coordinator, Tax Assistance Program, Legal Aid of NC),
Durham, NC
919-688-6396
George R. Hausen
(Executive Director, Legal Aid
of NC), Raleigh, NC,
919-856-2564
Dock Kornegay
(Director, Public Relations & Development, Legal Aid of NC),
Raleigh, NC, 919-856-2564
Disclaimer
The materials contained on this website are for information and
educational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Please
contact your Legal Aid of North Carolina office or a private
attorney if you need to speak to an attorney regarding your
particular situation. See our complete
disclaimer.
Mission Statement
Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm
that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income
people in order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove
legal barriers to economic opportunity.