Free virtual tax preparation available for some central Pa. individuals, families

Low-to-moderate-income working families and individuals in Dauphin, Cumberland and Perry counties can receive free virtual tax preparation services untiol April 15 through a new Touch-Free Taxes program.

Touch-Free Taxes can be done from a computer, tablet or smartphone and connects clients to trained volunteers who will prepare their taxes for free through the Internal Revenue Service’s Volunteer Tax Income Assistance (VITA) program, which is designed to provide low-income families with help completing federal and state returns and obtaining tax credits., according to a press release.

This year, people who earned wages of less than $57,000 may be eligible for assistance.

Touch-Free Taxes is part of the Money in Your Pocket Campaign, a community collaboration of organizations committed to the economic stability of local families, the release said. The program, led by United Way of the Capital Region, aims to increase use of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), and the Child Tax Credit (CTC). The EITC is a tax refund offered by the federal government to supplement wages for low-income workers.

In addition to Touch-Free Taxes, Money in Your Pocket and United Way Worldwide will also offer unassisted tax preparation through MyFreeTaxes.com. Visit www.myfreetaxes.com for more information.

“The pandemic has caused us to rethink and rework our tax program this year,” said Heidi Neuhaus, director of United Way of the Capital Region’s Volunteer Center. “With health and safety in mind, we have developed the Touch-Free Taxes program to provide virtual tax preparation for our clients.”

For tax year 2019, volunteers filed 3,698 tax returns, resulting in more than $3 million returned to local families. The Money in Your Pocket campaign program is funded by U.S. Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service and PNC Bank, according to the release.

For more information on Touch-Free Taxes or Money in Your Pocket, visit www.uwcr.org/miyp. You can also e-mail miyp@uwc.org or call 717.724.4077.

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