CAP Services and Community First Credit Union are offering free tax assistance to income-eligible families in Waupaca County.
Certified volunteer tax preparers will be available at FVTC-Clintonville and CAP’s office on Tower Road in Waupaca, by appointment.
CAP Services Project Coordinator Betsy Rozelle said that the VITA program is especially beneficial in a rural area like Waupaca County.
Wisconsin families who live in rural counties are the most likely to benefit from the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a refundable federal income tax credit for low-income families.
According to a recent analysis by the Wisconsin Budget Project, a nonpartisan research organization, more than 15 percent of people living in rural areas of Wisconsin benefit from the EITC, compared to 13.6 percent of people living in metropolitan counties.
“The EITC is credited with raising more children out of poverty than any other program,” Rozelle said.
CAP estimates that eligible families in Waupaca County do not claim up to $600,000 every year in Earned Income Tax Credits and spend thousands of dollars more for someone to prepare their taxes and then often apply for loans unnecessarily.
For more information about whether a taxpayer qualifies for this free service, call 800-660-5430 or e-mail [email protected]. Appointments are available until April 12.