Tax Day is right around the corner (April 15th), and it’s about time to gather our W-2 forms and income records and either sit down with our calculators or pass paperwork off to a knowledgeable accountant. But imagine having to prepare your taxes as a new American, with only basic English-language skills and little or no knowledge of our tax system. Or imagine being a taxpayer who is unsure of tax credit eligibility, or where to go for free tax preparation.
That’s where JF&CS steps in to help qualifying low-income taxpayers in our community and those who don’t speak English as a first language.
JF&CS receives funding from the IRS to run a Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) to help qualifying individuals in our community understand their taxpayer responsibilities and rights. Our immigration staff and volunteers provide crucial tax information for low-income taxpayers and those who don’t speak English as a first language, and while our clinics do not offer actual tax preparation, workshop attendees may be referred to free tax preparation resources through the IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, the United Way of Allegheny County’s “Money in Your Pocket” campaign and the University of Pittsburgh. JF&CS is committed to ensuring our entire community is fully prepared when it comes to tax season, and previously partnered with Just Harvest and the Latino Family Center to assist with scheduling appointments for tax preparation for the Hispanic population, as well as translators to help the preparers. While we primarily work with limited or non-English speakers at the clinics, our staff is happy to help anyone who may qualify as a low-income taxpayer.
Low-income taxpayers who need help understanding what tax credits they may be eligible for, how to maximize their tax refund, where to go for free tax preparation and understanding their taxpayer rights and responsibilities can attend one of the following workshops held at JF&CS’s offices at 5743 Bartlett Street in Squirrel Hill:
Thursday, March 14, 2013, 2 p.m.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013, 7 p.m.
Monday, April 8, 2013, 10 a.m.
JF&CS is one of only a handful of organizations in the state to coordinate LITCs. Offering these workshops is a natural fit for our agency, where we already provide a myriad of resources for legal immigrants, as well as a comprehensive realm of services and programs for individuals and families throughout the community.
Since our founding more than 75 years ago, JF&CS has been an acknowledged leader in helping immigrants and refugees resettle and successfully build new lives, and in assisting individuals and families in our communities who need our help.
To learn more about our LITC workshops, contact JF&CS’s Jamie Englert, Accredited Representative, at jenglert@jfcspgh.org or 412.422.7200. To find out how JF&CS provides additional services and support, visit www.jfcspgh.org.