Last week, we were happy to celebrate National VITA Day

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Did you know that the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program returns $1.9 billion to communities around the country each year?

Free Tax Prep is vitally important because it financially empowers low income families. Free tax prep, along with the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) lifts 10 million Americans, including 5 million children out of poverty each year. 

Our VITA program helps put money back into Niagara County residents' pockets and ultimately back into the local economy. We served 274 people during the 2018 tax season. These returns resulted in a total of $119,210 in Earned Income Tax Credits, and a total of $400,832 in refunds for our filers. Through our services, we saved over $95,900 in filing fees for our filers.

Individuals can get their federal and state taxes filed for free at two Niagara County locations:
Orleans/Niagara BOCES 50 Main Street, Lockport  
Tuesdays 3:30 – 7:30 pm
Pinnacle Community Services 1522 Main Street, Niagara Falls
Wednesdays 3:30 – 7:30 pm
Appointments for this service can be scheduled by calling 712-2060. 

Tax Preparation is just the beginning of services offered. CCCS also offers free one-on-one financial coaching sessions to help create budgets develop spending plans, and work on restoring credit--and many other services. For more information contact Noelle Carter at 716-771-3255 or noelle.carter@cccsbuffalo.org

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