Legal Aid of North Carolina

Tax Assistance Project (TAP)

A project of Legal Aid of North Carolina

"Free services available for filing for stimulus tax rebates"
    (03/19/08 article, Sun Journal)
"Legal Aid of NC to offer free tax service for low-income families" 
    (01/17/08 LANC Media Release, with PSAs)

If you worked during 2007, you may be eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).
 
TAP into all the money that could be flowing to you this tax season.

Legal Aid of North Carolina has formed TAP (Tax Assistance Project) to help families with low to moderate income “tap” into this needed source of revenue.  TAP will help to strengthen low-income families and to improve the economy of local communities.

“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)

TAP is sponsored by LANC with the IRS providing oversight under its VITA (“Volunteer Income Tax Assistance”) Program.  Trained community 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.

For those who qualify, TAP will:

   Provide free tax return preparation in January & February 2008;
   Prepare and file e-File your federal and state returns; and
   Get your refund to you within 10 days.

Appointments (January & February 2008)

To secure an appointment to have your taxes prepared by a certified volunteer tax preparer: 

   Call your local Legal Aid of NC office; OR
   Call 866-219-5262 (toll-free).

More...
   

Information Needed from Taxpayer

    Valid photo ID for taxpayer
      [If filing a joint return, a valid photo ID is also needed for the
        spouse.]

    Social Security Card or Individual Tax identification Number
      (ITIN) documentation for:
            - Taxpayer
            - Spouse (required for joint return only)
            - Children or other household members claimed.

    Tax information:
            - W-2 form for each job held in 2007 (get from employer)
            - Other documents relevant to income
            - Spouse must be present for signatures (e-file return only)
            - Bank account and routing numbers (required for direct
              deposit).

Volunteers Needed for TAP

Join TAP as a volunteer tax preparer and make a tangible difference in the lives of working families in our community.   

TAP volunteers must:

  Obtain 2007 IRS basic or intermediate level certification as
     volunteer tax preparer by completing Link and Learn course
     and test at www.irs.gov  (approximate time involved:
     5 to 10 hours).

  Complete TaxWise software training (approximate time:
     2 hours).

  Prepare taxes at a minimum of one session at any
     Legal Aid of NC VITA site  (approximate time:
     4 hours per session).

Contact us for more information or to volunteer:

   Call your local Legal Aid of NC office; OR
   Call 866-219-5262.

What is in this for you?

After training, TAP volunteers become tax preparers certified by the Internal Revenue Service.  Lawyers and paralegals earn pro bono credit (includes training hours plus tax preparation session hours.)  Most important, you can be part of keeping a family from losing their home, providing food and clothing for children or helping a family move toward financial independence.

Did you know...

Did you know that every year eligible low income taxpayers in North Carolina lose between $93 million and $176 million of their own money 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. Each year, the EITC lifts more than 5 million people out of poverty, including 2.5 million children.  

About the EITC ("Earned Income Tax Credit")

●  The EITC can put more than $4,500 in the pockets of those who
    qualify.
●  The average EITC is $1,800.
●  Each year, the EITC helps to lift roughly 5 million people out of
    poverty, including 2.5 million children.
●  In tax year 2004, 733,395 tax filers, more than 20  percent of NC
    taxpayers, filed for the EITC and received a total of more than
    $1.3 billion, an average of $1,842 per family. 
●  Nationally, only 75 percent to 85 percent of those eligible for
    the EITC actually file for it.
●  In North Carolina, we estimate that between 129,422 and
    244,465 eligible families did not access the EITC in tax year 2004.
●  A conservative estimate is that eligible NC families (who fail
    to file for the EITC) lose between $93 million and $176 million
    each year --- money that is needed for housing, food,
    transportation, and health care.  

EITC-Carolinas

EITC-Carolinas is a statewide resource network designed to help communities help their working families by supporting community volunteer groups that provide no-cost or low-cost tax preparation services to working families, and thereby enable families to reclaim and keep their income through the federal Earned Income Tax Credit.

Membership in the network is free and provides access to free resources, training, and promotional materials.

more..