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WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
WHAT ARE WE DOING TO HELP?
Stacks of papers. Hours at the
computer. Frustration, anxiety
and confusion.
At United Way of Greater
Nashville, we’re deeply rooted
in our fight to break the cycle of
poverty, especially the kind that
traps families for generation
after generation.
For most of us, tax season is a headache at best. But
for many of our neighbors who are living paycheck to
paycheck, it’s also a lifeline. They rely on tax season—
and their refund specifically—to provide a vital boost
to their bank accounts.
Helping our neighbors make the most of tax
season is an important step in that fight.
The average taxpayer spends $300 to have their taxes
prepared each year. $300 means a lot to a family who
is living on the edge—especially to those who have
lost their jobs and are struggling to make ends meet.
It can mean paying an overdue utility bill, putting food
on the table or buying warm clothes for their kids
during the winter months.
Many families who don’t know where to turn end up at
paid preparers with the promise of refund advances.
But those advances come with exorbitant fees,
high interest rates and complicated fine print. And
even worse, they’re often charged simply to access
important tax credits that they already qualified for
and deserve.
That’s where United Way’s Volunteer Income Tax
Assistance (VITA) free tax prep program comes in.
For our neighbors who make less than $66,000 a year,
VITA gives them access to tax prep services by IRScertified volunteers—all at no cost.
The Internal Revenue Service created the
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance free tax prep
program to provide free tax preparation for lowincome and at-risk taxpayers with the help of
community partners and volunteers.
The average taxpayer
spends $300 to have their
taxes prepared each year.
For 17 years, United Way of Greater Nashville has
partnered with more than 50 agencies throughout
Middle Tennessee to operate VITA. We do so
through important state and federal grants,
with the support of donors like you and with the
help of IRS-certified tax preparers. Many of our
volunteers start out with no experience in the
world of taxes. They’re just dedicated people who
lend their time to ensure their neighbors have the
resources they need during tax season.
Last year, United Way and the VITA free tax
prep program completed more than 10,000 tax
returns, helped taxpayers save more than $2.7
million in tax preparation fees and brought more
than $13.5 million in federal refunds back to the
community—all with the help of IRS-certified tax
preparers.
VITA is more than a tax return or one-time cash
infusion. It empowers our neighbors to take
control of their money, put it to work strategically
and effectively and build a solid financial future.
Here’s how …
Helping People Keep More
of What They Earn
55 million Americans say they have nothing in
their emergency savings. This means one trip to
the hospital or a car or home repair could create a
vicious cycle of debt that could lead to poverty or
homelessness. We want to give our neighbors the
tools they need to start saving, which will prevent
them from living on the edge in the first place.
That often starts with VITA. With the help of our
volunteers, taxpayers can rest assured that their
taxes will be prepared carefully and accurately—
putting that hard-earned money back in their
pockets. In 2019, the average VITA client received
nearly $1,500 in refunds.
Read on to learn how our free tax prep services are
working to dismantle poverty in our communities.
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Unite d Way of G reater Nas h v i l l e
U nited Way of Greater Nas h ville
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