Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
As leader of the Iowa statewide Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) coalition, The Iowa Center partners with 21 organizations who operate 80 tax sites across the state to ensure that VITA income tax preparation is accessible to qualified individuals all across Iowa. The Iowa Center directly operates 12 VITA tax sites to support individuals and small businesses who need support getting their financial house in order.
The IRS’s VITA program offers free tax help to individuals, families, and small businesses filing on a Schedule C. VITA is available to people who generally make $67,000 or less, and provides specialized assistance for persons with disabilities, the elderly, and limited English-speaking taxpayers.
The Iowa Center operates 12 sites in Iowa:
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Iowa Center for Economic Success Hours: Appointments: Tuesday 30-min tax appointment
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Lutheran Services in Iowa Immigrant and Refugee Community Services Hours: Appointments: |
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Valley Community Center Hours: Appointments:
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United Way of Central Iowa Hours: Appointments:
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Polk County River Place Hours: Appointments:
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Evelyn K. Davis Center Hours: Appointments:
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Madison County Extension Intake – Winterset Hours: Appointments:
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Cass County Extension Intake – Atlantic Hours: Appointments:
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Muscatine Cooperative Hours: Appointments: |
Ankeny Service Center Hours: Appointments: |
THE STATEWIDE IOWA VITA COALITION
As leader of the Iowa VITA Coalition, The Iowa Center partners with 21 organizations to operate 82 sites across the state of Iowa.
Locations:
Volunteer for VITA
Do you want to make a difference in our community? Volunteer to assist low-to-moderate income individuals, families and small businesses who need assistance preparing their tax returns. In addition to tax preparation, our volunteers help clients to understand their tax obligations and overcome obstacles to achieve correct, timely and complete tax filings. No experience is necessary – volunteers need to be trustworthy, have attention to detail, and a desire to make a difference. Volunteers must complete an online training provided by the IRS, pass a test based on the training, and commit to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of taxpayer information. Many of our volunteers are retired CPAs, college students, financial planners, corporate finance executives and others who enjoy working with numbers.
Our busiest time of year is during tax season which runs from February 5 – April 15. But we have volunteer opportunities available year round. Sign up now to start the training process or receive more information!
VITA Small Business Filing
Some small businesses qualify for free tax filing through the VITA program. See the guidelines listed below to determine if you might qualify to file on a Schedule C through VITA
• Total expenses under $35,000
• Profit from business (sole proprietorship)
• Business did not have a net loss
• Accounting method is cash (no cash receivables, accounts payable, or inventory)
• Expenses (advertising, commission and fees, health insurance*, insurance, non-mortgage rent or lease of property, repairs and maintenance)
o Self-employed health insurance deduction only
o Vehicle expenses (using the Standard Mileage Rate method)
o Business use of cell phone
• Home is not the place of business
If your small business falls out of scope based on these parameters, The Iowa Center can still help you. Our Small Business Tax Prep + Planning program is designed to make sure you can understand and fulfill your tax obligations. Click here to learn more.
VITA PARTNERS
The Iowa Center leads the statewide VITA program to encourage taxpayers to file their tax returns with funding support the IRS, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, and United Way of Central Iowa.
