Goodwill Industries of West Michigan still offering  Free tax preparation services

Jane Drake of Goodwill Industries of West Michigan stopped by the station for a last minute push about the free income tax preparation.

Appointments will be scheduled by CALL 2-1-1 – dial 211, or 1-877-211-5252. Call specialists at 2-1-1 will also provide information and assistance in determining if individuals are eligible for the free services, which tax credits if any they may qualify for, and what documents and information they will need to bring with them to an appointment.

Laptops on loan from the IRS will also be available at three sites for qualifying individuals to file their own taxes using free software. The sites for free self-assisted filing are:

• Goodwill Industries of West Michigan, 271 East Apple Avenue, Muskegon
• Goodwill Industries Workforce Development Center, 950 West Norton Avenue, Muskegon
• Community encompass, Muskegon Learning Lab, 19 Hartford, Muskegon

Individuals will have to meet income and age limits and have all of the required documents and information in order to use the self-assisted filing services. Volunteers will be on hand to provide limited assistance.

VITA Services for West Michigan was organized as partnership with the Internal Revenue Services to ensure eligible taxpayers claim and keep all of the tax credits they are eligible for. It is estimated that at least 20 percent of eligible individuals do not claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), the federal government’s largest program benefitting workers with low to modest incomes. The maximum EITC refund for workers with earned income up to $49,078 ranges from $434 to $5,751. The amount of the credit varies by income and number of qualifying children in the household. Parents or guardians with earned income and qualifying children may also be eligible for a Child Tax Credit of up to $1,000 per child.

Radio Interview with Jane Drake of Goodwill

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Jane Drake, Goodwill Industries Prosperity Center Manager,
(231) 722-7871 x309 jdrake@goodwillwm.org  www.goodwillwm.org