Day of Free Tax Preparation in Schenectady Results in 22 Completed Tax Returns and more than $75,000 in Savings for Working Families, thanks to Volunteer Tax Preparers from Troy's Catholic Central High School

Damian Robidoux of Troy, a senior at Catholic Central High School, works with Beth Levine of United Way, on a tax return during EITC Awareness Day at the Washington Irving Educational Center in Schenectady.

SCHENECTADY, NY – As part of United Way’s effort to help working families keep more of their hard-earned dollars and achieve financial stability, United Way’s CA$H Coalition joined the Internal Revenue Service to promote Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Awareness Day on January 29 at the Washington Irving Educational Center in Schenectady.

Throughout the day, students from Catholic Central High School in Troy – who were trained as IRS-certified VITA / Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) volunteer preparers – assisted taxpayers with completing their returns. At the end of the day, 22 taxpayers utilized the service and gained an estimated total of $75,912 in tax credits and savings.

"I'm planning on getting a nice refund," said Rashee Fields of Schenectady, who was having his paperwork reviewed by student volunteers and United Way staff. "If it wasn't for this service, I would have to go to a paid preparer," he said.

The Catholic Central High School students, who are members of teacher Deborah Doling's accounting class, are among 200 volunteer tax preparers across the Greater Capital Region who were trained and mobilized by United Way’s CA$H Coalition to assist in free preparation services from January through early April.

"It feels good when you do someone's tax return and you know that they're going to get money back," said Kristin Parsons, a senior at Catholic Central Catholic High School who spent the day assisting taxpayers who qualified for the free preparation.

Kristin Parsons of Latham, a senior at Catholic Central High School, assists a taxpayer with his return.

Matthew Daley, also a senior, said the service was helping taxpayers avoid Refund Anticipation Loans - which promise a faster refund in return for a percentage of the refund amount. Matthew said he was so impressed by the value of the service that he would like to set up a VITA site at the college he chooses to attend in the fall.  

The goal of the January 29 event was to launch the tax season with a powerful message that the Earned Income Tax Credit could be the needed financial boost for working people hit by hard economic times. Created in 1975, the Earned Income Tax Credit helps offset Social Security taxes and provides an incentive for work. It it the federal government's largest benefits program for working families.

United Way's Schenectady event also drew attention to the CA$H Coalition’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program offers free tax preparation to income-eligible individuals across United Way of the Greater Capital Region’s five-county service area.

Last year, this free tax preparation service helped return $12.9 million to individuals and families in the Greater Capital Region. Of this total, $3.8 million was claimed as the Earned Income Tax Credit. This year, the IRS expects that many more individuals will be eligible for the EITC and other savings because of changes in eligibility requirements or because their income declined.

Congressman Paul D. Tonko, representing New York's 21st District, with (left to right) Catholic Central High School students Jenna Yager and Taylor Murphy, and taxpayer Rashee Fields.

The January 29 Schenectady event coincided with National EITC Aware ness Day events and promotions across the country to educate taxpayers and to encourage eligible individuals to claim the EITC, which is the federal government’s largest benefits program for working families.

This tax season, United Way's CA$H Coalition is supporting 54 VITA / AARP tax assistance sites in Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady and Schoharie counties. For more information about site locations and times, call 2-1-1 or go to the CA$H web pages.

United Way of the Greater Capital Region brings people and resources together to achieve measurable and sustainable improvements in the quality of life for our community.

United Way’s CA$H Coalition – which stands for Creating Assets Savings and Hope – is a partnership of non-profit agencies, businesses and volunteers dedicated to helping individuals and families achieve long term financial stability.