RSVP-VITA Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program
Are you an Early Bird? Do you have all your income tax papers ready to go?
- Free Tax Help is available before February 1 to those who meet VITA income eligibility guidelines and who have their income tax documents in hand.
- Call the Women's Center (919) 968-4610 for information, dates and Orange County sites that offer Early Bird Assistance.
RSVP-VITA Free Tax Help Available February 1 - April 16 in Orange and Chatham Counties
Phone Lines Open Wednesday, January 18, 2012
VITA Flyer 2012 English Espanol
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Days, Times, Sites in Orange and Chatham counties, Phone numbers, What to Bring
- Appointments and Walk-In Service Available depending on the site
- Tax service times are subject to change.
VITA-Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program
Avoid high interest loans and charges to have your taxes done.Free tax assistance for eligible clients of any age is available through VITA. IRS-trained and -certified tax volunteers will prepare computerized tax returns for clients who meet eligibility requirements. There are no charges for any VITA service, including electronic filing (e-file) of your tax return. Please ensure you are eligible for this free tax service. Please be prepared!
Who is Eligible?
Service is available to eligible clients with low- to moderate-income regardless of age and county of residence. Clients need to meet eligibility guidelines. RSVP-VITA is not prepared to serve those people who are not eligible or without complete documents.
VITA is subject to certain eligibility requirements, such as income and level of difficulty.
We regret that we are not able to provide services for foreign students at most sites. However, eligible foreign students may contact the Women's Center (919) 968-4610 with questions about tax assistance.
Walk-Ins with No Appointment
- Clients without appointments will be fit in if time permits, if there is an open appointment or if there is a cancellation.
- Walk-in clients must arrive at least 2 hours before closing time for the tax site for the possibility of being served.
When are taxes due?
- IRS has set the due date as April 16, 2012.
- Be sure to check the availability of VITA service in Orange and Chatham counties before travelling to a site. VITA Flyer 2012
- RSVP-VITA services will not be available after a site's last appointment date. Nor will they be available after tax season.
Last Days for Appointments in Orange and Chatham counties at RSVP-VITA
- Wed, April 11 - Hillsborough (Dept of Social Services)
- Wed, April 11 - Chatham (call for location)
- Sat, April 14 - Chapel Hill (Seymour Center)
- Sat, April 14 - Chatham (call for location)
- Sat, April 14 - Hillsborough (Central Orange Senior Center)
- Mon, April 16 - Chapel Hill (Women's Center)
Last Day for Walk-Ins
- Mon, April 16, Women's Center, 210 Henderson St., Chapel Hill (919) 968-4610
Walk-in Service available if you arrive by 3:00. No tax appointments taken at Women's Center.
- Check VITA Flyer 2012 for Orange County sites open to Walk-In clients. Chatham County VITAS sites are by appointment only.
Sites (919)
Orange County 919-968-2086 or 919-245-2010 (English & Hispanic Clients)
- Carrboro - Service is not available in Carrboro this year.
- Chapel Hill - Seymour Center and Women's Center
- Hillsborough - Central Orange Senior Center and Orange County Dept. of Social Services
Non-English-speaking clients will need to bring an interpreter.
Chatham County English 919-542-4512 Chris Carter (Hispanic clients call 919-742-1448)
- Pittsboro
- Siler City
Non-English-speaking clients will need to bring an interpreter.
EITC is a refundable tax credit, meaning you can get money back even if you owe no federal income tax or had no tax withheld. And, if you owe tax, it can offset the amount you must pay. The EITC credit remains little known, possibly because people move into and out of eligibility as their income, marital statuses and parental statuses change.
Unlike other tax credits, EITC is based on a combination of factors, such as the source and amount of your income, or combined income if married, whether you have qualifying children and how many. Although children are not required for eligibility, they increase the amount of your credit.
Per the IRS, rural and nontraditional families -- such as grandparents raising grandchildren, childless workers and Spanish-speaking taxpayers -- are among those who most frequently overlook the credit.
Sponsors
IRS, Orange County RSVP 55+ Volunteer Program, Orange County Government, Towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill, the Women's Center, United Way of Greater Triangle