Free tax assistance for Central Indiana residents

Mayor Hogsett helps kick off the opening of Indy Free Tax Prep sites

Each year, thousands of Central Indiana residents pay hundreds of dollars to file their taxes, without knowing they may be eligible for free filing. Indy Free Tax Prep – a network of Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites, works to help ease the financial burden of the tax preparation process and ensure individuals and families with a combined household income of $60,000 or less their full tax refund. Indy Free Tax Prep operates 17 locations that are now open throughout Marion, Hendricks and Morgan Counties.

Mayor Joe Hogsett joined United Way of Central Indiana to speak to the importance of the program and kick off the opening of tax preparation sites.

Many Central Indiana residents do not have access to affordable tax preparation or are unaware of available credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Child Tax Credit (CTC), and Education Tax Credit. In 2015, more than 7,000 tax returns were prepared for Central Indiana residents at no cost, resulting in more than $8 million in refunds and $1.5 million saved in tax preparation services. Program volunteers are certified by the IRS and are available on-site to provide free, basic federal and state tax return preparation.

Taxpayers may visit IndyFreeTaxPrep.com or call 2-1-1 for more details, locations, hours, and information to schedule an appointment. In addition to in-person tax preparation sites, taxpayers with a combined household income of $60,000 or less can self-file their taxes online for free at myfreetaxes.com.

Last year, Indy Free Tax Prep volunteers prepared more than 7,000 tax returns for Marion County residents at no cost, resulting in more than $8 million in refunds and $1.5 million saved in tax preparation services.

Indy Free Tax Prep supports United Way of Central Indiana’s community goal of reducing the number of financially unstable households in Central Indiana.

Program partners include: City of Indianapolis, Indianapolis Asset Building Coalition, United Way of Central Indiana, Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee (GIPC), Clear Channel Outdoor, IndyGo and many more local financial institutions and community organizations.