Area residents can get their taxes prepared for free starting February 6 at free tax sites run by United Way of Northern New Jersey and its partners in Morris, Somerset, Suburban Essex, Sussex and Warren counties.
This free service is designed for the 37 percent of New Jersey households the United Way ALICE Report has identified as low- or moderate-income and struggling to make ends meet. For local individuals and families who are ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) or in poverty, the free tax preparation program allows them to receive the credits and refunds they’ve earned while saving them the average $200 fee paid tax preparers charge.
“With the cost of basic necessities growing faster than inflation, United Way is committed to providing area residents with opportunities to save their hard-earned money, pay basic bills and reduce debt,” said United Way Senior Vice President Kiran Gaudioso. “We are proud to work with our community partners and highly trained volunteers to help neighbors get back every dollar they deserve.”
United Way has teamed up with NORWESCAP RSVP, Greater Providence Missionary Baptist Church and the IRS to offer day, night and weekend appointments in person with IRS-certified volunteers who prepare and file both state and federal returns for free. To make an appointment at a free tax site in Morris, Somerset, Suburban Essex, Sussex and Warren counties, dial 973.993.1160, x5.
Residents in Somerset, Suburban Essex, Sussex, and Warren counties can also make appointments online by visiting www.UnitedWayNNJ.org/FreeTaxPrep. Households earning less than $64,000 also have the option to file their taxes for free online using MyFreeTaxes.com.
“I would pay someone to do my taxes and the fee was quite high,” said northern New Jersey resident Michele Pacheco-Lintag, who used United Way’s free service in 2016. “You can have United Way, a professional service, do it for you for free. They’ll happily do it…and they’ll get you back the biggest return that you deserve.”
This year, all filers will see a delay in their refunds regardless of where their taxes are prepared. New Jersey state income-tax filings will not go out until at least March 1. For low-income families eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Additional Child Tax Credit, the IRS has been required by Congress to hold refunds eligible for these credits until February 15.
“Families should not pass up getting back thousands they earned and are rightfully due back because of this delay,” Gaudioso said. “While we understand waiting for the funds can be stressful, the long-term benefit of being able to pay down debt or boost savings makes it worth the wait.”
Clients using United Way’s free tax preparation program will have the opportunity to put more money into their wallets by accessing savings-related information and programs such as Savers Credit and SaveYourRefund. The Savers Credit provides ALICE and poverty-level taxpayers who are saving for retirement a special tax break. Clients who qualify can see their tax bills reduced. Through the SaveYourRefund program, clients saving $50 of their federal refund can enter for a chance to win $100 and the $25,000 grand prize.
Last year United Way and its partners made it possible for nearly 6,000 households to file their taxes for free, refunding more than $5.7 million and saving residents nearly $1.2 million in tax preparation costs.
These free services are available only to low- and moderate-income families and individuals. These services are not available to business owners or landlords.
For more information about United Way’s free, quality tax preparation program, visit: www.UnitedWayNNJ.org/FreeTaxPrep.
