Our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program helps Marin residents maximize their tax refunds to put vital money back in peoples’ pockets. Through VITA we offer free tax preparation services where caring, trained volunteers guide Marin residents through matters such as reporting on public benefits and claiming the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), so they can claim tax benefits for which they’re eligible and understand their choices for the next year.

Due to the Coronavirus, VITA shifted to take place online this year. The federal government has also extended the reporting deadline to May 17 and that has enabled us to extend our preparation services to April 30 to ensure we provide complete services to all of our clients. Although the web portal will remain open through May, we will not accept any new returns after April 30 to allow time for quality review and for tax preparers to contact taxpayers and complete the returns in a timely manner.

“Giving back to the community by helping people complete their taxes is important, especially during a time of so much uncertainty. We encourage anyone who needs assistance preparing their taxes to submit their information online so one of the volunteer tax preparers can help you with your tax needs,” says Esmeralda Garcia, VITA Tax Preparer Volunteer.

If you’re in need of tax preparation services and your total income was less than $57,000, please visit getyourrefund.org/cam to get started. If you have any questions, or you may be interested in volunteering, contact Ashley Creese at acreese@camarin​.org