KCAO Celebrates Successful VITA Tax Season

KCAO is celebrating a successful tax season following the completion of its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, VITA, on April 15.

VITA offers free tax preparation assistance to individuals and families who generally make $67,000 or less, as well as persons with disabilities, seniors, and limited English-speaking taxpayers who need support filing their tax returns. Through the program, IRS certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing for qualified individuals.

This year, KCAO’s VITA program helped file 1,312 federal tax returns and 1,310 state tax returns for Kings County residents. The average adjusted gross income for federal returns was $30,026, highlighting the program’s impact for working families and individuals who benefit from free, reliable tax assistance.

The program also helped return significant dollars back to the community. For federal returns, KCAO’s VITA program helped residents claim $673,154 in Earned Income Credit and receive $1,722,290 in total refunds. For state returns, residents received $144,272 in Earned Income Credit and $485,369 in total refunds.

This success would not have been possible without the dedication of the 23 volunteers and four full and part-time staff members, who gave their time, knowledge, and care to help residents navigate the tax filing process.

KCAO extends its sincere appreciation to every volunteer and staff member who helped make this year’s VITA program possible. Their commitment helped families save money on tax preparation, claim important credits, and bring millions of dollars back into the Kings County community.