Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)

What is VITA? 

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) is a national program staffed by local volunteers to provide free preparation and electronic filing of tax returns. It’s an important service to thousands of individuals and families in Racine County with low-to-moderate incomes who are eligible for tax credits. Our IRS certified volunteers help to take the stress and confusion out of tax season and save clients on average $200 per tax return.

How do I volunteer?

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) is a national program staffed by local volunteers that provides free preparation and electronic filing of tax returns. Our volunteers help Racine County residents file taxes through VITA.

Volunteers are needed both in-person and virtually. In-person volunteers will be staffed to assist at both our weekly site locations as well as our mobile sites for Homestead and Facilitated Self-Assistance site at Gateway Technical College and rotating sites at our three community schools: Julian Thomas, Knapp and the Academies of Racine - Mitchell. 

Volunteers are needed to serve in a variety of roles. Each role plays a very important part in the success of the program and not all volunteer roles require tax certification.

  • Greeters welcome tax filers to the VITA site and make sure that tax filers have all the information needed to complete their tax returns. No tax certification is needed.
  • Bilingual interpreters work alongside clients and preparers to interpret their conversations. No tax certification is needed.
  • Tax preparers are the backbone of the program. They must complete training and certification at a basic or advanced level. Training is provided in both in-person, virtual and web-based formats, free, and can be completed on your own time, at your own pace. 
  • Quality reviewers provide a double check of every tax return prepared and review the finished return with the taxpayer. They help to ensure accuracy. Quality reviewers are required to be certified at the advanced level. Additional training provided.
  • Site coordinators and assistant site coordinators ensure that VITA rules and regulations are followed at every site and assist the site's volunteers and clients. Requires advanced certification, site coordinator certification, and additional training.
  • Intake specialists interview the taxpayers and review documents to prepare their information for preparation. They also assist clients with drop off of tax documents and/or the virtual tax process. This position requires tax certification and additional training.

No experience is required. All training is provided. Flexible schedules are available, including weekdays, evenings and weekends. A commitment of one two-to-four-hour shift per week is required during tax season, January through April. 

A red button that says "volunteer."

Who qualifies?

VITA services a variety of taxpayers. The service that fits your needs best, depends on your household income and tax situation. See below for a listing of services and the type of client each service fits best.

How do I make an appointment?

All in-person VITA tax services have ended until next tax season. If you still need to file, you can utilize our free DIY software offered at the links below. Appointment options for the 2024 tax season will be available starting January 3, 2024.

 

logos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two Case High School students preparing a tax return for a client.

In-person services have ended for the 2023 tax season. Please utilize our free DIY software. 

In-person appointments are available for full-service tax assistance. In order to implement safe social distancing, clients may be asked to wait in a separate room while their taxes are prepared.

This service is for clients who: 

  • Have an annual income of $66,000 or less
  • Are filing more than just the current tax year
    • Preparation available for 2017 through current tax year.
  • Prefer to have everything completed in an hour
  • Need extra assistance throughout the return process
  • Do not have access to a smartphone, tablet or computer to complete the virtual option
  • Are not comfortable with the virtual process

We cannot file returns with the following items due to it being out of scope for the VITA program:

  • Married Filing Separate returns 
  • Returns with landlord/rental income
  • Returns with buying or selling of cyber currency
  • Business returns (with employees, use of home as an office, inventory/stock). We can prepare simple self-employment returns.
  • State returns other than Wisconsin and non-resident Illinois returns

 

Trifold with welcome information for the VITA site.

In-person services have ended for the 2023 tax season. Please utilize our free DIY software. 

30 minute in-person drop-off appointments are available for tax assistance. All intake paperwork will be completed in-person and client tax documents will be collected by a VITA team member. Tax preparation will be completed by our team of certified and vetted volunteer preparers within one week. Clients will have the option to review and sign their documents electronically or in-person once the return is completed.

For clients who:

  • Are not filing Married Filing Separate (legally married but filing separately from their spouse)
  • Do not have rental or farm income
  • Have an annual income of $66,000 or less
  • Are filing more than just the current tax year
  • Have limited time to sit for a full-service appointment
  • Need assistance with the GetYourRefund virtual option
  • Are comfortable communicating with your tax preparer by email or text
  • Are ok waiting up to a week for the return to be complete

A cell phone showing the GetYourRefund home page.

Click HERE to start the 100% virtual process through GetYourRefund. You will be directed to a VITA program that is still providing services.

Virtual VITA utilizes GetYourRefund to collect and securely store taxpayer information and documents. Taxpayers will create an account and answer a series of questions. The information will be reviewed, and the taxpayer will be contacted by a member of our virtual VITA team to review the information before the volunteer prepares the tax return. The process can take up to a week to complete once we receive all the necessary documents.

  • 100% virtual for your safety and convenience
  • Our virtual tax team will prepare your return for you
  • Easy to submit from a smart phone, tablet or computer
  • For taxpayers with an income of $66,000 or less
  • VITA cannot prepare returns that are Married Filing Separate or contain rental or farm income
  • Our program only prepares state returns for Wisconsin
  • Preparation available for tax years 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022
  • You will be required to interview by phone with a volunteer tax preparer
  • Return will be reviewed over the phone and electronically signed
  • Click above to start the process, answer a series of questions and send pictures of your documents to the United Way of Racine County VITA program

 

Photo of hands working on the computer.

Click here to request a link to access our free DIY TaxSlayer tax software!

If you want to file your own taxes, click above to receive a link to create your account with TaxSlayer to utilize our free tax software. If you used MyFreeTaxes last year, you will want to use that again this year instead of requesting the link.

Click above to start your return now using our free TaxSlayer software.

  • Income limit of $73,000
  • No form restrictions
  • 2022 Software
  • Certified volunteers available to answer your tax questions via email
  • Does not allow "state only" returns

This is the right option for you if:

  • Your return is out of scope for VITA
  • You file Married Filing Separate
  • You have cyber currency
  • You have rental income (landlord income)
  • You are only filing for the current tax year
  • You are filing a state return other than Wisconsin
  • You are comfortable using online tax services
  • You have done your own taxes in the past but want a more affordable (FREE) option
  • Your tax situation is simple/straight forward
  • You need a quick option

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click here to access Free DIY CashApp tax software! Open for data entry at this time. 

If you want to file your own taxes, click above to utilize the free tax software from CashApp. This process must be started from a smart phone and then can be transferred to a computer.

This is the right option for you if:

  • Your income is over $73,000
  • You are only filing for the current tax year
  • You are filing a state return other than Wisconsin
  • You are comfortable using online tax services
  • You have done your own taxes in the past but want a more affordable (FREE) option
  • Your tax situation is simple/straight forward
  • You need a quick option

 

 

Any questions written on a chalk board

Have a question? Click here to visit our FAQs.

Answers to many of our commonly asked questions can be found here. If you cannot find your answer, email us at taxhelp@unitedwayracine.org. 

See the video below to learn more about the impact of VITA.

 

 

Unable to volunteer but want to support VITA? Your tax-deductible donation provides training, resources and support so VITA volunteers can support as many local taxpayers as possible.

A blue button that says "donate." A red button that says "volunteer."  A yellow button that says "contact."