VITA/VRPP AND TCE PROGRAMS

2008 VITA/VRPP and TCE sites will open in late January or early February. See following list for dates and hours each site will be open.

TO FIND A FREE TAX PREPARATION SITE NEAR YOU IN THE NORTHERN KENTUCKY AREA,
CALL 2-1-1 or 859.572.6578.

TO FIND A FREE TAX PREPARATION SITE NEAR YOU IN THE CINCINNATI AREA,
CALL 2-1-1 or visit website at: http://www.makeworkpay.com/map.html.

History of VITA Program
The VITA program has been in existence for 37 years. It is the major organization providing free tax assistance to those who need it most, low- to-moderate-income taxpayers. Volunteers receive extensive, free training through the IRS to prepare them for their volunteer opportunities.

Volunteers may prepare taxes, act as quality control reviewers, greet taxpayers or serve in a variety of other positions.

History of AARP/TaxAide Program
Since its inception in 1968, the Tax-Aide program has worked with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to provide assistance to taxpayers in filing their Federal tax returns. In 1968, four AARP members, concerned about tax awareness, donated their expertise and assisted in the preparation of one hundred tax returns in the nation's capitol.

In 1980, Tax-Aide and the IRS entered into a cooperative agreement with the IRS Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program. This agreement provides reimbursement to volunteers for their out-of-pocket expenses incurred while carrying out their program duties. The cooperative agreement has been renewed annually.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA/VRRP) volunteers assist people who need the most help with free tax preparation. VITA volunteers assist low to moderate-income families, those with disabilities, non-English speaking individuals, and seniors with tax preparation. VITA volunteers help insure that taxpayers claim all credits and refunds for which they may qualify, including Earned Income Tax Credits, and Child Tax Credits.

AARP/TaxAide The program was honored in 1986, with the U. S. President's Citation Award for Private Sector Initiatives. Today, the program has more than 31,000 volunteers helping 1.6 million people file federal, state, and local tax returns. The Tax-Aide volunteer accuracy rate, as reported by the IRS, has consistently achieved a superior rating above 90 percent.

WHO CAN RECEIVE ASSISTANCE AT THE FREE TAX PREPARATION SITES?

The following table shows income guidelines for free tax preparation sites. These income figures are guidelines only, sites will prepare returns for families with income of approximately $50,000, but will not prepare complex returns. See types of returns prepared below or click here.

The sites will not prepare complex tax returns. Click here to see list of types of tax returns prepared.

For directions to Brighton Center, click here

For directions to Centro de Amistad, click here

Call 859-572-6578 to verify the following dates and times.

TYPE OF RETURNS THAT CAN BE PREPARED AT SITES

To qualify for free tax preparation, you should make less than $36,000 per year.

The VITA/VRPP and AARP/TaxAide sites will also limit return preparation to the following forms and schedules (types of tax returns and schedules prepared at free tax preparation sites provided by IRS):

Form 1040EZ - Federal Easy Form (Green)

Form 1040A - Federal Short Form (Pink)

Form 1040 - Federal Long Form (Blue)

Form 1040X - Amended Returns (at some locations)

Schedule A - Itemized Deductions

Schedule B - Interest and Dividends

Schedule C-EZ - Business Expenses $5,000 or less

Schedule D - Very Limited Capital Gains and Losses

Schedule EIC - Earned Income Tax Credit

Schedule R - Credit for the Elderly

Schedule SE - Self Employment Tax

Form 2441 - Child Care Expenses

Form 8822 - IRS Change of Address

Form 8863 - Education Credits

Form 8332 - Release Claim to Exemption

Form W-4 – Withholding Allowance

WHAT SHOULD I BRING TO THE SITE TO HAVE MY TAX RETURN PREPARED?

Please carefully review the following list before going to a free tax site location to ensure that you have all of the required documents needed to complete your federal and State of Kentucky (Ohio, Indiana, and other state returns prepared at some sites) tax return:

Your Social Security Card, Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) or an accurate record of either number. If you're filing a joint tax return with your spouse and/or you're claiming a dependency exemption for someone, or claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit, you'll also need to bring the Social Security Cards or ITINs for the dependents. Inaccurate information may delay your tax refund. The following list of what to bring is suggested by the IRS.

Photo Identification such as a driver's license;

Federal tax return package (if you received one in your mailbox);

All Forms W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, from all your employers for the current tax year. If you're filing a joint tax return, you'll need all your spouse's Forms W-2 as well;

Any and all Forms 1099 you (and your spouse if filing jointly) received. Form 1099 reports various types of income received (such as interest, dividends, unemployment compensation, social security, state tax refunds, etc.);

A copy of your last year's federal and state tax returns, if you kept copies;

A copy of any year-end bank account statements showing any interest earned;

A copy of any educational expenses paid to a qualified educational institution (1098-T with tuition/mandatory paid and statement showing all interest paid on student loans);

To see if you should itemize your deductions to reduce your taxes, bring the following: statements, bills, or receipts of your expenses for out of pocket medical and dental, property taxes, auto vehicle registration, home mortgage interest, receipts showing sales tax paid for large purchases, casualty losses, charitable contributions, and other miscellaneous expenses;

If you itemized deductions in the previous year (Schedule A), the amount of state tax refund you received (Form 1099-G);

Tax ID numbers of the provider(s) (Social Security or Federal ID numbers) for any child care provided (Child and Dependent Care Credit);

A bank account and routing number if selecting a direct deposit (refund) or direct debit (balance due). A select few of the NKU ABC sites can open a bank account for free if you do not already have one. If filing electronically, direct deposit refunds take 10-14 business days, versus 45 days for a paper check;

If you need to file an amended return (to correct a return filed previously), a copy of the originally filed return and any of the above documents that you need to correct the return. Note: Not all NKU ABC sites prepare amended returns. Please review our site list to ensure when and where this service is offered.