Asset Building at Tax Time: Scaling Up Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
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The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) helps low-income families retain more of their hard earned wages by returning a portion of their taxes. Most families that receive the EITC rely on commercial tax preparers. With the addition of a Refund Anticipation Loan (RAL), the cost of using a commercial preparer averages $300. Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites, authorized by IRS, prepare tax returns for low-income families for free, and this often includes rapid-refund service. In 2004, community VITA sites around the United States provided free tax service to less than 1 percent of all people who receive the EITC, largely because sites do not have the resources to meet customer demand.
Side-by-side state figures of EITC filers and VITA returns are included in this Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. 
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