Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) 2018

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites open February 1, 2018!
 
VITA is a free tax preparation service for low- and moderate-income individuals and families in Santa Barbara County earning less than $66,000 annually.
 
Sites open beginning February 1 through April and offer free tax return preparation and filing by IRS-certified volunteers. VITA is one component of UWSBC’s United for Financial Empowerment Partnership, a multi-pronged initiative that provides families and individuals with tools, services, and education to help them build long-term assets and become more financially stable.
 
In 2017, California expanded its tax credit to help even more working families:
 
  • A parent with an income of $22,300 or less may benefit from the credit if they have one or more qualifying children. That means a parent working full-time at the state minimum wage of roughly $10 per hour could qualify. 
  • Now, for the first time, those who earned self-employment income may also qualify for the credit. Both 1099 filers and cash earners qualify. 
 
With the combined federal and state credits eligible families can get up to $6,000 back after filing their taxes. To get your tax credit, simply file your state and federal tax returns.  
 
If you earn less than $66,000 annually and want to have your taxes filed before April 15th, please call the VITA Hotline (805-899-2313) or go online to www.unitedwaysb.org/vita.