VITA, a Program of the Financial Education Center
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
Why pay to have someone do your taxes when CTI will do them for free? VITA is offered to low-income individuals, and families who qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit. Appointments are scheduled on Wednesday nights (Feb 7 through April 11, 5pm-8pm) and Saturday mornings (Feb 3 through April 14, 9am-12Noon) during tax season. Available by APPOINTMENT ONLY. We will start scheduling appointments on Tuesday, January 16th, 2018. Please call to learn more: 978.654.5676.
VITA Tax Flyer – Includes 2018 Schedule for 2017 Tax Season
MASSCAP PUBLIC POLICY PRIORITIES- FY19 Top Budget Priorities
MASSCAP Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) Site – Business Fact Sheet
MASSCAP Volunteer Tax Assistance Program (VITA) – Fact Sheet Overview
ALERT
Identified Issue
The Internal Revenue Service is aware of a new scheme where criminals, after stealing client data from tax professionals, are filing fraudulent tax returns which include the taxpayers’ real bank accounts for the refund deposits. The fraudulent refunds are deposited into the real taxpayers’ accounts. The criminal subsequently contacts the taxpayers requesting/demanding the funds be returned and instructs the taxpayers how to return the funds. The taxpayers who follow these instructions are sending the money to the actual criminal and not the IRS.
Required Corrective Actions
Taxpayers should be alert to any unusual activity such as receiving a tax refund they did not request.
Taxpayers who receive a direct deposit refund that they did not request (or did not file a tax return for) should take the following steps:
1. Contact the Automated Clearing House (ACH) department of the bank/financial institution where the direct deposit was received and ask the bank or financial institution to return the refund to the IRS.
2. Call the IRS toll-free
EITC Client Flyer – Important Announcement: 2016 Refund Delay Notice UPDATE COMING SOON
VITA and ETIC Resources
http://www.eitcoutreach.org/blog/five-ways-to-promote-the-eitc-for-awareness-day/ (nice video in English and Spanish on EITC)
IRS EITC Awareness Toolkit
https://www.eitc.irs.gov/partner-toolkit/eitc-awareness-day/eitc-awareness-day-2
Prosperity Now EITC Awareness Toolkit
https://prosperitynow.org/resources/2018-eitc-awareness-day-toolkit
Tax Credits for Working Families
http://www.taxcreditsforworkersandfamilies.org/resources/
Important Announcement for Taxpayers who file for the Earned Income Credit 2016
“The IRS reminds taxpayers that a new law requires the IRS to hold refunds claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) until Feb. 15. In addition, the IRS wants taxpayers to be aware it will take several days for these refunds to be released and processed through financial institutions. Factoring in weekends and the President’s Day holiday, the IRS cautions that many affected taxpayers may not have actual access to their refunds until the week of Feb. 27.”
This means that wherever you have your tax return prepared, either with Community Teamwork or a private preparer, the same federal rule applies. The IRS will hold all EITC refunds until Feb. 15th no matter where they originated from.
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165 Merrimack Street
Lowel, MA 01852
978.654.5676
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(978) 459–0551 / 978.654.5676
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