Jerome E. Horton, 3rd District Board of Equalization member, will speak [LC1] at the 2017 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, along with co-sponsor, Senator Tony Mendoza and Assemblymenber Christina Garcia, at Cerritos College, on Saturday, April 1, 2017, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
In partnership with the Internal Revenue Service, Franchise Tax Board, and other state and local elected officials, Member Horton hopes to help seniors and working families file their tax returns and claim their share of state and federal refundable tax credits. Individuals and families that qualify will also receive free income tax return preparation and filing assistance.
“California taxing agencies should provide free tax filing services to the disabled, seniors, and qualified individuals to help them file their taxes, register their businesses, and claim the $1.8 billion in tax credits, $184 million in state EITC, and $51 million in refunds that go unclaimed each year. Instead, they claim it is not their job,” said Horton. “Our public-private partnerships with state, local, and federal agencies will help even more people lift themselves out of poverty through the 3rd District VITA program.”
Assistance is available to those who generally earn $53,505 or less, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and limited-English speaking taxpayers. Free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) locations throughout California help qualified taxpayers receive information on federal and state tax credits. Eligible individuals may qualify for as much as $6,269 from the Federal Earned Income Tax Credit and $2,706 from the California EITC.
Taxpayers should bring proof of identification, social security cards, wage and earnings statement(s) from employers, interest and dividend statements from banks, bank routing and account numbers for direct deposit, and a copy of last year’s federal and state returns, if available.
All resources and services at this event are free and open to the public.