Households Which Earned $54,000 or Less in 2017 Can File State and Federal Taxes for FREE
WHAT: The Mayor’s office will join members of the Greater New Haven Family
Economic Security Coalition, coordinated by the Connecticut Association for Human
Services (CAHS) to kick-off the start of the VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance)
season with a press event. Speakers include: Sheila Carmon, Interim Community
Service Administrator; Jim Horan, Chief Executive Officer, Connecticut Association for
Human Services; Amy Casavina Hall, Chief Impact Officer, United Way of Greater New
Haven; Alisa Lebovitz, IRS Taxpayer Advocate; Janice Vargas, VITA Client
WHEN: Thursday, January 25, at 1:00 p.m.
WHERE: Financial Empowerment Center, 316 Dixwell Ave., New Haven, CT
BACKGROUND: VITA is a program sponsored by the IRS, where trained volunteers
prepare and file state and federal returns for low-moderate income families for free.
Families who had an income of $54,000 or less in 2017 may qualify for free tax
preparation services.
Last year, trained VITA volunteers in New Haven prepared almost 4,500 tax returns,
returning $7.1 million in state and federal refunds to local families including $2.4 million
in federal Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) which may have otherwise gone
unclaimed. The Connecticut EITC provides an additional credit for working families
which is 23% of the federal EITC. This tax credit helps low-income working families with
children have more money for monthly bills, pay off debt and to save for emergencies.
The IRS wants to remind taxpayers that the PATH Act law requires the IRS to hold
refunds claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Additional Child Tax
Credit (ACTC) until February 15. In addition, the IRS wants taxpayers to be aware it will
take several days for these refunds to be released and processed through financial
institutions. Factoring in weekends and the President’s Day holiday, the IRS cautions. that many affected taxpayers may not have access to their refunds until the week of
February 27.
“We are pleased to be able to offer families and individuals who qualify, free tax
preparation and filing.” said Jim Horan, Chief Executive Officer of CAHS, an
organization that helps to coordinate the VITA campaign across the state. “This is an
important service and offers a significant savings to those who are challenged by the
extra expense of tax season. In addition to free tax services, CAHS also offers
educational programs that help build long-lasting financial stability.”
“VITA provides much needed free tax advice and guidance to people who cannot afford
tax accountants or are confused by our complex tax rules. Too many people fail to
receive refunds or the earned income tax credit that are owed to them- leaving on the
table billions of often critical hard earned dollars.” stated U.S. Senator, Richard
Blumenthal.
Residents can call 2-1-1 or visit www.211ct.org, the United Way’s free information
hotline to find out more information or to locate the closest location. For more
information about federal or state EITC eligibility, residents can visit www.irs.gov or
www.ct.gov/drs/eitc.
This year’s VITA campaign is made possible through the generous support of the
following funders: United Way of Greater New Haven, Wells Fargo, Citi Community
Development, and People’s Bank Foundation.
About the Connecticut Association for Human Services
The Connecticut Association for Human Services (CAHS), a 501(c) (3) nonprofit
organization, uniquely combines outreach into working poor communities at the
neighborhood level with broad-based policy work at the state and federal level.
Founded in 1910, CAHS is focused on helping families and children build the skills and
assets they need for lasting economic success, strengthening Connecticut’s economy,
and improving its workforce. In addition to advocacy and outreach, CAHS publishes
consumer guides, policy briefs, and KIDS COUNT, a highly-regarded data and policy
book supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. For more about CAHS, please visit
www.cahs.org.
List of 2018 VITA tax sites in Greater
New Haven: New Financial Life @ Clemente School, @ Columbus Family Academy, @
Gateway Community College, @ Yale New Haven Hospital, Brookside Estates, Christian
Community Action/ARISE Center, Community Action Agency of New Haven, Emanuel Lutheran
Church, New Haven Library’s Downtown and Wilson branches, New Haven Opportunity Center,
Southern Connecticut State University School of Business, Evergreen AAA VITA, Yale New
Haven Hospital Pediatrics
East Haven: East Haven Adult Learning Ctr., Hamden: M.L. Keefe Center, Hamden High
School
Woodbridge: Woodbridge Senior Center
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