It’s that time of year, time to think about filing your taxes. Thanks to this week’s Good Neighbors, many people are finding tax time isn’t that bad after all.
A group has come together to celebrate a big win. They helped to save more than 400,000 households over $700,000 last year, and they have a goal to do the same thing in 2023.
They are all volunteers with the United Way of South-Central Michigan Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, VITA.
Nick Miller helps to lead the group.
“Going through our program is completely 100% free, and we are able to go back as many as three or four years depending on what they're applying for," Miller said. "The story I like to tell is of a family who hadn't filed for four years, and so after going through the process, we realized that they are going to be eligible for around 2500 each year, amounting to about 10,000.”
Miller says it’s not unusual for VITA volunteers to help customers secure tax refunds. During the 2021 tax season, the volunteers helped clients receive more than $3.6 million in federal and $1.8 million in Michigan refunds.
All VITA volunteers are highly trained and knowledgeable.
Nathan Stout has been volunteering for the past five years and says he loves the feeling that he gets knowing he is helping people.
“When you can give them either the home fed credit or some of the other tax rebates maybe for their kids going to college and stuff like that,and just seeing that they can get some money back in their pockets and help their family, it's a good experience," Stout said.
Merry Dunn is also a volunteer tax preparer.
“We had a woman who came in who hadn't done our taxes in several years, and she was going to lose her home because she could not pay property taxes. She was on Social Security and did not know she should file her taxes. She didn't have to, but in filing her taxes for those three years, we got her enough money to pay off her taxes and build herself a ramp," Dunn said. "She was more than happy. I mean, she was ecstatic and didn't lose her home, which is the whole point of this is to give people financial stability and some hope.”
Dunn stresses that one misconception people have is that if they are on Social Security, they shouldn’t get their taxes done.
“If you get Social Security, you'll get some money back. It depends on how much Social Security you get, but with all the different housing credits, home heating credits and child tax credits, depending on how old you are, you'll get some money back. So, if you get Social Security, you should have your taxes done,” Dunn said.
Theresa Kmetz is also with the United Way of South Central Michigan.
“Our volunteers through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program are good neighbors because they care about others in their community, and they're working to ensure everyone has a path to financial stability. They give their time and their talent. They spend many hours helping others each year," Kmetz said.
We want to thank the VITA volunteers of the United Way of South-Central Michigan for donating their time to help others with their taxes. You are this week’s Good Neighbors.
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