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The Value of VITA
This year, I have the privilege of serving as a tax preparer through Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) in Cedar Rapids. In this role, I prepare income tax returns for low- and moderate-income members of the community, providing convenient assistance and helping taxpayers to avoid fees charged by for-profit preparation services. On my first day of volunteering, I assisted a woman who was supporting her three children by herself on only $18,000 per year. As we began her return, I asked her to fill out an information sheet; she patiently explained that she couldn’t, because she couldn’t read. I walked her through the process, entered her financial information into the tax software, and in a matter of minutes, we had finished her return and discovered a $9,500 refund was coming her way. Every dime counts in a budget like hers, but the size of her refund was a positive windfall. Our free service would have cost several hundred dollars at a tax preparation company. This is exactly the value of VITA: providing a free, convenient, vital, and deeply beneficial service to those who need it most.
By Ryan Gentzler