Low-income residents flood agency for assistance with tax returns.
Aaron Hummel
Issue date: 4/10/08 Section: News
The prospect of receiving a federal Economic Stimulus Payment has
dozens of Hillsdale city residents requesting help filing their tax
returns at the Community Action Agency on Barnard Street, Community
Resource Specialist Sara Hutchins said.
At the agency, four local volunteers assist residents with tax
returns, including senior Marissa Hughes, who is the first and only
Hillsdale College student to participate in the program, Hutchins
said.
"It's been rewarding knowing that I'm helping people," Hughes said.
"People are certainly grateful for the service."
Scheduled to begin in May, the Economic Stimulus Payments have
motivated a rush of residents requesting help with tax preparation so
they can qualify for a payment, Hutchins said. The agency had already
processed 317 residents by March 27, but last spring it assisted only
220 residents during the entire 2006 tax season, she said.
Hughes decided to participate in the IRS-sponsored Volunteer Income
Tax Assistance program this winter when she completed more than 14
hours of IRS training online, she said. The training qualifies her to
assist community residents in filing electronic forms for the Basic
Income Tax, and for credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, the
Child Tax Credit and the Homestead Property Tax Credit.
Started by the IRS to assist low-income families and individuals with
tax preparation, the VITA program has been in Hillsdale four or five
years, Hutchins said. Anyone who made $40,000 or less in 2007
qualifies for assistance under VITA.
There is a great need for such assistance in the Hillsdale community,
Hutchins said.
"Most people have to file taxes if they have any kind of earned
income, and most of the prices [professional tax preparers] charge is
ridiculous," she said. "I mean, over $100 just for a simple income tax
is ridiculous to me."
Hughes, who estimates that she works at the Community Action Agency
dozens of Hillsdale city residents requesting help filing their tax
returns at the Community Action Agency on Barnard Street, Community
Resource Specialist Sara Hutchins said.
At the agency, four local volunteers assist residents with tax
returns, including senior Marissa Hughes, who is the first and only
Hillsdale College student to participate in the program, Hutchins
said.
"It's been rewarding knowing that I'm helping people," Hughes said.
"People are certainly grateful for the service."
Scheduled to begin in May, the Economic Stimulus Payments have
motivated a rush of residents requesting help with tax preparation so
they can qualify for a payment, Hutchins said. The agency had already
processed 317 residents by March 27, but last spring it assisted only
220 residents during the entire 2006 tax season, she said.
Hughes decided to participate in the IRS-sponsored Volunteer Income
Tax Assistance program this winter when she completed more than 14
hours of IRS training online, she said. The training qualifies her to
assist community residents in filing electronic forms for the Basic
Income Tax, and for credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, the
Child Tax Credit and the Homestead Property Tax Credit.
Started by the IRS to assist low-income families and individuals with
tax preparation, the VITA program has been in Hillsdale four or five
years, Hutchins said. Anyone who made $40,000 or less in 2007
qualifies for assistance under VITA.
There is a great need for such assistance in the Hillsdale community,
Hutchins said.
"Most people have to file taxes if they have any kind of earned
income, and most of the prices [professional tax preparers] charge is
ridiculous," she said. "I mean, over $100 just for a simple income tax
is ridiculous to me."
Hughes, who estimates that she works at the Community Action Agency
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