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Mention the words “tax time” and it brings a grimace to many faces.
Families with low to moderate incomes, however, won’t have to face this task alone.
KC Cash Coalition and United Way have partnered together to offer 16 tax assistance sites, free of charge, for low and middle income families living in the Kansas City area.
Households with incomes of $49,000 or less qualify to have their taxes prepared and filed at the designated sites.
Families earning $57,000 or less may file online for free at www.myfreetaxes.com/kc
In addition to free tax assistance, United Way and KC Cash are aiming to help families receive the maximum amount of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a tax refund.
Last year, the IRS estimated that 20 percent of qualifying tax payers failed to claim an EITC. For some families, that means losing up to $5,666 in tax refund monies.
“EITC is financial boost for working people hit by tough economic times,” said Jason Woods, KC Cash president. “This money can make life a little easier for people who lost their jobs during the year or are only working part-time, especially those who have children.
“But, the only way they can claim the tax credit is by filing a federal income tax return, even if they aren’t legally required to do so because their income is too low.”
What to bring
To files taxes at one of the free sites, taxpayers need to bring several items. These include:
• Photo identification
• Valid social security cards for the taxpayer, spouse and dependents
• Birth dates for all the persons listed on the tax return
• Current year’s tax package, if received
• Wage and earnings statement(s) from all employers. These may include the W-2, W-2G and 1099-R.
• Interest and dividend statements from banks (Form 1099)
• A copy of last year’s federal and state returns, if available
• Bank routing numbers and account numbers for direct deposit of tax refunds
• Other relevant information regarding income and expenses
• Amounts paid to day care provider and the provider’s identifying number
Where to go
To find a location near you, visit www.unitedwaygkc.org/tax or dial 2-1-1 or (816) 474-5112.
Locations in and around Historic Northeast include:
• AIM-Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church, 2310 E. Linwood, Wednesdays 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Jan. 29 to April 4
• Full Employment Council, 1720 Paseo, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to noon and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Jan. 27 to April 18
• Operation Breakthrough, 3039 Troost, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. by appointment only, Jan. 24 to Feb. 11
• Penn Valley Community College, 3201 SW Trfwy, Learning Resources Building, Room 204, Tuesdays 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Feb. 1 to April 12.
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