United Way of Summit and Medina provides free tax help to households with an income of less than $60,000. Our volunteer tax service experts will prep your federal and state tax returns for free. Keep reading to learn more about taxes and how you can get help preparing your taxes from United Way of Summit and Medina!
What Are Taxes and Why Are They Important?
A tax is a charge collected by local, state, and federal governments to cover the costs of government services, goods, and activities. Because governments do not produce any profits, they can only fund services by asking citizens to pay taxes on income, purchases, and property.
Taxes are important because they fund the important services you use on a daily basis. From infrastructure and road work to education, national defense, public schools, and police departments – your taxes are funding services that you don’t want to go away!
Benefits of Using a Tax Service
Utilizing a tax service near you is a smart idea for many reasons. At United Way of Summit and Medina, our volunteers can save you time, money, and potential mistakes by providing free tax help!
Filing your taxes on your own can consume too much of your already limited time. Especially If you’ve experienced a life change such as having a child, starting a new job, or moving – there will be a difference in how you need to file your taxes. Don’t spend time and stress figuring out what to do differently, our tax service experts can do that for you!
Finally, using our free tax help will ensure there are no mistakes in your tax returns. Taxes need to be taken seriously. If there is a mistake in your filing that the IRS catches after it is processed, you may be subject with an audit – which could include an unexpected and large tax bill. No one wants that for you, so utilize the free tax help from our experts!
How To Use a Tax Service
Getting help with your taxes is a fairly easy process, but it’s important that you understand the steps and have all the information you need. Without the necessary items, our tax service volunteers might not be able to assist you. Prepare for your appointment well in advance to avoid that happening.
How The Process Works
With United Way of Summit and Medina, you can choose a tax appointment that is in-person, drive-in, drop off, or free self-file.
For in-person, you will meet with a tax service volunteer for 60-90 minutes while they prepare your tax return.
If you schedule a drive-in appointment, you will complete a short intake interview, drop off all paperwork and then return within two hours to review the finalized return.
For a drop-off appointment, after completing a short intake interview, you will be contacted within 5 days to review, sign and have your return electronically submitted.
The free self-file option gives you free access to TaxSlayer, an online tax software.
Learn more about each option today.
Documents and Information Needed
Collecting all the necessary documents is one of the most important steps of receiving free tax prep help! We suggest keeping a folder throughout the year where you can collect all tax information as you receive it.
For your tax appointment, you will need:
- Photo ID
- Social Security proof
- Income documentation for the previous year
- Expense documentation, if applicable
- Copies of the previous year’s federal and state tax returns, if available
- Bank routing and account numbers for direct deposit.
Learn more about the documents you need for your tax appointment here.
Get Free Tax Help with United Way of Summit & Medina
United Way of Summit and Medina is happy to provide free tax services to the many hardworking citizens of our community. Don’t tackle all that paperwork on your own – reach out for help by scheduling an appointment today! You can also 2-1-1 to make an appointment or ask a tax question.