If you tried to call the Take Charge Thursday phone bank this week and were unable to get through to find out more about the volunteer income tax assistance program (VITA) and the AARP’s tax aide clinics, here is information to help you find out if you’re eligible, and where you can schedule an appointment:

Follow this link to visit the United Way of St. Joseph County’s list of free tax filing sites in Indiana.

Click on this link for a .pdf with information on numerous programs in Michigan.

or try this link

This link has more information on the IRS VITA program, and you can also call 1-800-906-9887 to find the nearest VITA site near you.

This is the AARP website that will be updated with local site information once the programs begin in the coming weeks:

This is a link to Turbo Tax’s Freedom Project, which offers free software to low income families, and to those serving in the military.

Calling the United Way 2-1-1 hotline is another great way to get the best information on these resources, they are well-versed in what help is available, and the United Way even sponsors many of the local sites.

Fast Facts about VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance):

VITA provides free tax return assistance to families making less than

More than 57% of working households in St. Joseph County alone qualify for VITA services.

80+ trained and IRS-certified volunteers help people claim a variety of tax credits including:

EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit)
Education credits
Making Work Pay credit
Child care credit
Home buyer credits

An estimated 20 -25% of people who qualify for the EITC may not even be aware of it; each year millions of dollars are unclaimed by Indiana families who could have claimed this credit.

Locations this year include 9 sites in 3 counties (St. Joseph, Marshall, Elkhart).

Tax filing assistance is by appointment only. To schedule, call 2-1-1, United Way’s Information & Referral Center. 2,220 appointments available during the 2010 tax season.

355 appointments have been set so far (Last year 127 families were served by VITA).

With electronic filing, the money is automatically deposited in the clients’ bank account within 5-10 days, eliminating the need for a rapid refund loan.

Clients can avoid paying up to $300 in paid-preparer fees