Have you ever thought about volunteering to help people file their taxes? Nearly 99,000 volunteers nationwide did just that last tax season, through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.
In Bucks County, the free VITA service is offered by Bucks County Opportunity Council through their program Buck$Back. Over the past nine years, Buck$Back volunteers have helped prepare more than 7,000 returns for low-to-moderate-income taxpayers, providing a value of $12.2 million in refunds, credits and fee savings.
Volunteers are needed for the 2014 tax season.
Volunteers work directly with people who need help preparing their tax returns. Don’t know that much about taxes? Don’t worry. Training is free and available in person or online. The program needs greeters, quality reviewers, tax preparers, interpreters, site coordinators, schedulers and more.
Retired or practicing tax professionals, college students and individuals with no prior tax-preparation experience who complete the training program are welcome. Operated in partnership with the Internal Revenue Service, Bucks$Back provides free tax preparation assistance to low-income residents of Bucks County including e-filing, direct deposit for refunds and convenient preset appointments. The Opportunity Council program has assisted struggling families and individuals to obtain crucial refunds that can be used for debt reduction, savings, education costs, or reliable transportation.
For specific information about volunteering for the program, go to www.bcoc.org and click on the TAXES tab.
Bucks County Opportunity Council, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping low income people in Bucks County achieve and maintain economic self-sufficiency.
About the Contributor: Jessie Marushak leads all development efforts for Bucks County Opportunity Council, Inc. She joined staff in 2012 and has a proven track record for non-profit fund-raising and extensive experience in development, marketing, public relations and event management. The Opportunity Council connects people with resources to thrive.