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Super Tax Saturday
Held on Saturday, February 13, the Central Cedar Rapids Weed and Seed VITA Super Tax Saturday was perhaps the biggest event of the 2010 Tax Season. The event offered a combination of free tax preparation services, in which participants had the opportunity to have their tax return filed by IRS-certified VITA volunteers, and a “Money Education Fair,” where community members could speak with representatives on topics such as opening an Individual Development Account or weatherizing a home. In total, seventeen local financial organizations and social service providers were represented at the fair. Upon speaking with three or more of the representatives, participants had the opportunity to enter to win one of the fantastic door prizes. In an effort to support local businesses, the majority of the door prizes included gift certificates to flood-affected shops and restaurants.
Super Tax Saturday is part of a larger VITA effort to provide free tax preparation services to qualifying individuals. During the 2010 tax season, four sites will be open throughout Cedar Rapids to provide individuals and families with the opportunity to file. Since the tax centers opened on January 26 , more than 600 returns have been filed at these VITA sites and we are excited to report that more than $1,000,000 will be granted in returns. An additional $400,000 has been claimed through the Earned Income Tax Credit. On Super Saturday, a total of seventy-one returns were filed by VITA preparers, in addition to eleven filed by AARP. With potentially large refund checks, plenty of freebies and a door prize entry, participants at Super Saturday surely felt pleased to have attended. However they were not the only ones who felt they had benefitted from attending Super Saturday: AmeriCorps VISTA and VITA tax preparer Laura Narum remarked, “it was an amazing feeling to be able to help so many people.”
By Mary Alice O'Connor
VISTA Casey prepares taxes