By LINDA CHION KENNEY
United Way Suncoast, in collaboration with the Internal Revenue Service, is revving up to help more people get free tax assistance in a program designed to lighten the load of taxpayers living paycheck to paycheck, and, especially so, in post-pandemic inflationary times.
At issue is the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA), which last year involved about 48 sites in United Way Suncoast’s five-county area: Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota and DeSoto.
“Any household that earns $79,000 or less can get their taxes prepared for free,” said United Way Suncoast spokesperson Ernest Hooper. “Our volunteers are trained by United Way and not all, but many, are former accountants or have an accounting background.”
A VITA volunteer works with a site coordinator sporting a “Tax Prep Superhero” T-shirt.
United Way Suncoast VITA volunteers see themselves as “Tax Prep Superheroes.”
With close to 400 volunteers last year, a decline from pre-COVID times, the aim is to increase that number to at least 500 volunteers, said Margarita Sorah, a United Way senior manager, focused on financial stability. Also needed are new site locations for review in south Hillsborough County, due to the area’s rapid population growth.
VITA addresses simple to complex tax issues, including long-overdue filings, with some sites opened year-round. All sites are open from the end of January through April 15, the federal tax deadline.
Volunteer needs are for site coordinators, site tax preparers and greeters, with the emphasis this fall on site coordinators set to be trained in October and November. “Typically, the site coordinator has a background in tax preparation and helps answer questions the volunteers might have,” Hooper said. “It’s often retirees and seniors who end up filling this role for us.”
United Way Suncoast volunteer works with a VITA site coordinator.
According to Sorah, site coordinators work with volunteer tax preparers to ensure compliance with policies and procedures. The ideal candidate is “proficient in volunteer management and very well organized,” she added, with the VITA program providing tax law training and certification.
Volunteer tax preparers as well are trained and oriented with tax law. The aim is to “make sure things are done accurately and that returns are submitted and reviewed in a reasonable time,” Sorah said.
The results speak for themselves, Hooper said, of the United Way Suncoast VITA program. “We have helped to return annually between $10 million and $13 million to the community in tax returns, earned income tax credits, child tax credits and the money that people save because they don’t have to pay to get their taxes prepared,” Hooper said.
The focus on financial stability is especially needed for the so-called ALICE population, an acronym for “Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.” According to United for Alice, a grassroots movement led by United Way of Northern New Jersey that has spread nationwide, members of the ALICE population earn just above the Federal Poverty Level, cannot afford the basic cost of living in their county and often do not qualify for public assistance.
According to United Way Suncoast officials, ALICE accounts for 33 percent of the region, with another 13 percent of the households falling below the Federal Poverty Line.
“We use the term ALICE because we want to speak respectfully of this population,” Hooper said. “These are people who have jobs, they’re working hard, but they’re still struggling to make ends meet. We’re not talking about annual passes to Disney. We’re not talking about eating out at Bern’s Steak House in Tampa. We’re talking about paying your basic daily, weekly and monthly bills.”
According to the latest ALICE data, a family of four, with a toddler and an infant, living in Hillsborough County, needs to earn $90,216 to make ends meet. A single adult needs $35,688; a couple needs $51,060. In 2022, household costs in every county in Florida were well above the Federal Poverty Level of $13,590 for a single adult, and $27,750 for a family of four.
“Inflation and housing costs, including rent and insurance, all of these things factor into creating challenges, and it’s another reason why we put such an emphasis on our VITA program,” Hooper said. “We want to shift gears from financial stability to economic viability, so people can keep their heads above water, elevate and create the lives that they imagine for themselves.”
United Way Suncost photos
United Way Suncoast’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance volunteers work with a range of community members to provide free tax preparation.
Before her role with United Way Suncoast, Sorah said she worked at a taxpayer clinic providing pro bono assistance to people with low-to-moderate income, facing tax issues such as late filings and audits.
“It’s something I have a passion for, helping people in need,” Sorah said. “Using my communication skills to make a difference, it’s woven into me.”
Sorah said she hopes that like-minded volunteers step up to give back in a much-needed and meaningful way and that the people most in need of VITA services will take advantage of the no-cost tax preparation service.
“For those who are not aware they can get free services on something like this, it’s a really good opportunity,” Sorah said.
For more on ALICE, VITA and other United Way Suncoast services and volunteer opportunities, visit www.unitedwaysuncoast.org/ or call 813-274-0900.