IRS-certified volunteers provide one-to-one tax filing help.
To help local working individuals and families attain financial stability, the Greater Nashua Asset Building Coalition (GNABC) is offering free income tax preparation at four area locations beginning Saturday, January 28th.
All volunteers are trained and certified on IRS-approved software. The volunteers will help filers prepare their 2011 federal income tax returns and determine whether they qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and other tax credits. Free tax returns prepared by coalition volunteers for tax year 2010 brought $2.74 million in refunds back to Nashua-area households; $6.5 million has been returned to the region over the past four years.
To receive free tax filing assistance, total income per return cannot exceed $49,000 for tax year 2011, and must not include more than $3,150 in investment income. Volunteers file the returns electronically, which facilitates direct deposit of refunds into taxpayers’ bank accounts,usually within 10 days.
Last year; 433 Greater Nashua filers claimed $622,000 in EITC. According to the IRS, more than 26 million people – or 79 percent of those eligible – received nearly $59 billion in EITC nationwide in 2011. That means approximately 21 percent of taxpayers who qualify for EITC do not claim the credit they deserve.
“The EITC can return $1,000 or more to low-to-moderate-income households that are struggling with everyday expenses,” said GNABC Coordinator Ray Peterson, Vice President of United Way of Greater Nashua. “Families can use this lump sum not only to pay off debts and buy necessities, but also to build assets, such as starting a college savings account.”
EITC allowances vary with income levels, filing status, and number of children. For example, a single parent with one child, earning less than $36,052, or a married couple with one child, filing jointly and earning less than $41,132, may receive up to the EITC maximum credit of $3,094.
No appointment is needed for the free tax preparation, which runs Saturday, January 28, and every Saturday through March 24, from 9 AM to 3 PM at Triangle Credit Union, 33 Franklin Street, Nashua. Free tax filing help also will be available at the following locations and times:
Nashua Public Library
2 Court Street, Nashua
February 1 – April 16
Mondays and Wednesdays 10 AM-7 PM
Fridays 10 AM-2 PM
YMCA-Merrimack
6 Henry Clay Drive, Merrimack
February 6 – April 16
Mondays 9:30 AM to noon
Wadleigh Public Library
49 Nashua Street, Milford
February 7 – April 10
Tuesdays 9:30 AM-2:30 PM
Tax filers should bring all their relevant tax information, including: social security card(s) for themselves and their dependents; W-2 and 1099 income reporting forms; copy of their 2010 tax return; driver’s license or photo identification card; tax identification number of their child care provider; and any mortgage company statements received during 2011. Checking or savings account numbers and bank routing numbers are needed for direct deposit of refunds.
To locate tax preparation sites in New Hampshire, call 2-1-1, the statewide information and referral service.
GNABC members include United Way of Greater Nashua, the Internal Revenue Service, City of Nashua, NH AARP Tax-Aide Program, Triangle Credit Union, Nashua Pastoral Care Center, University of NH Cooperative Extension, Nashua Soup Kitchen & Shelter, YMCA of Greater Nashua, Southern NH Services, LinkAbilities, Adult Learning Center, NH Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services, and Harbor Homes.
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