Feel Good Friday - Free Tax Help Bay Area

Is it possible to write a Feel Good Friday blog about taxes? When we highlight the work of Free Tax Help Bay Area, the answer is yes.

A program of United Way Bay Area, Free Tax Help Bay Area is a coalition of organizations that provides free tax preparation for low-to-moderate-income households in the Bay Area, in partnership with the IRS. All services are free, secure and high quality, and all tax returns are prepared by trained and IRS-certified volunteers.

While it seems like this information is being shared with you at the last minute, it’s really not. Residents of the nine Bay Area counties have until October 16th to file their taxes due to the extreme weather seen statewide this winter. So you’ve got plenty of time to access these resources.

Free tax preparation is available for anyone who needs it and there are several filing options. You can visit a participating site in person to get help or drop off your taxes. You can also file online by filling out a short interview form and uploading your documents. IRS-certified tax preparers from Code for America will prepare your taxes virtually.

Volunteers make sure taxpayers claim the tax credits they are eligible for, helping maximize their refund to make ends meet. In 2022 the program helped provide 32,228 tax returns resulting in $53,289,926 in total federal and state refunds back to families in the community.

You don’t need tax experience to volunteer, you’ll receive training. As long as you are comfortable working with people, computer literate and able to commit to one shift per week, you can help your neighbors in need file taxes accurately, claiming the tax credits that help them make ends meet.

If you’re unable to take a volunteer shift this season, you can also help by making a donation and letting more people know about Free Tax Help Bay Area on social media. Follow United Way Bay Area on Facebook, on Twitter @UWBayArea and Instagram @uwbayarea. 

Feel Good Friday - IRS

What?!? Why is the IRS the focus of Feel Good Friday, you ask?

First of all, this is a friendly reminder that your taxes are due on Monday (you're welcome). Second, and more importantly, the IRS runs two programs where volunteers provide free tax preparation for qualifying individuals!

As explained on their website, "The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax help to people who generally make $54,000 or less, persons with disabilities and limited English speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns."

There's also assistance designed for people over 60. "Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program offers free tax help for all taxpayers, particularly those who are 60 years of age and older, specializing in questions about pensions and retirement-related issues unique to seniors." You can click this link to find a VITA or TCE site near you.

Now maybe you've already done your taxes or you don't fit in either category. Well, you can still feel good by passing this information on to the procrastinator in your life who may need the assistance OR you can sign up to be a volunteer next year.

As you can see in this brief volunteer recruitment video, you will receive free training to teach you how to prepare taxes. You can also volunteer as a greeter/screener, interpreter or computer specialist. Whatever your role, you'll be helping other people maximize their credits, get refunds and generally make tax time less traumatizing.

You may still hate doing your own taxes but you can show some love for the IRS and its volunteers by following them on Twitter @IRSnews.