Tax Return Assistance

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)

VITA is an Orange County Volunteer Connect 55+ (VC 55+) volunteer program that provides FREE federal and NC state income tax preparation to eligible individuals with low-to-moderate income, regardless of age or county of residence. Our in-person services require appointments with limited walk-in appointments available. Please be advised that you may not be immediately served. Your patience and understanding are appreciated.

We will prepare 2025 tax returns from February 1 - April 15, 2026. Appointments open on Monday, January 12. Call 919-245-4242 or see below to make your appointment online.

GET READY:

• Make a list of the documents you expect this year: W-2s, 1099s, etc.
• Collect your tax documents and check them off your list as they arrive.
• Confirm your street address and email address is correct with employers, banks, mortgage companies, social security and others who will need to send you tax documents.
• If you earn tips, make sure they’re reported on a tax form (e.g.: W-2, 4070, 4137, 1099-K).
• If you earn overtime pay, review your W-2 to make sure it is included and know your OT rate.
• If you don’t receive paper tax forms, print them, or use our Virtual VITA option.
• You will need last year’s tax return, your government-issued photo ID and social security card.

Returns We Cannot Prepare

Please be aware that there are certain returns that the IRS does not allow us to prepare. These are returns that contain “Out-of-Scope” items or are more complex than we can handle given the volume of our activity and the need to assist as many taxpayers as possible. While the list of Out-of-Scope items is extensive, the primary Out-of-Scope items that would prevent us from preparing your return are:

• You have income from property that you rented to someone else.
• You have income from the sale of real estate other than a personal residence.
• You have income from the sale of any virtual currency, such as Bitcoin.
• You have income that would be reported on a Schedule C (self-employment or business income) and also have health insurance purchased through the Marketplace/Affordable Care Act.
• You have certain kinds of income reported on a tax form that is a “Schedule K-1” from a partnership, trust, or estate.  For example, ordinary income or loss reported in box 1 of this form is Out of Scope.  Investment income (interest, dividends, and capital gain) reported on a K-1 is generally in scope.
• You have income that would be reported on a Schedule C (self-employment or business income) and after deducting your expenses, the Schedule C would show a net loss (your expenses related to the activity are more than the income).
• You conduct a complex business that you report on a Schedule C.  We can do Schedule C’s that involve simple operations like reporting the income of a service provider who is not an employee, but we are not able to do more complicated Schedule C’s that involve substantial sales, substantial costs (like inventory and supplies), substantial bookkeeping, etc. These returns must be done by a paid preparer.
• You want to claim a credit for solar property or the purchase of an electric vehicle.
• You contributed property (such as clothing and furniture) other than cash to a charity and you want to claim that the value of the property is more than $500.
• You have one or more complicated brokerage statements with complex items such as accrued interest, bond premium, etc.  We can do simple brokerage statements but will not be able to accommodate returns with a significant number of brokerage statements or overly complex brokerage statements.
  
  

If you have any questions, please call the VITA Program Coordinator at 919-245-4240.

Three Paths to FREE Income Tax Assistance

(Click on each box below to learn more)