Free Tax Return Preparation for Qualifying Taxpayers
The IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free basic tax return preparation to qualified individuals. The VITA program has operated for over 50 years. VITA sites offer free tax help to people who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns, including:
- People who generally make $57,000 or less
- Persons with disabilities
- Limited English-speaking taxpayers
While the IRS manages the VITA programs, the VITA sites are operated by IRS partners and staffed by volunteers who want to make a difference in their communities. The IRS-certified volunteers who provide tax counseling are often retired individuals associated with non-profit organizations that receive grants from the IRS. The United Way of Northwest Florida is an IRS Partner that provides VITA services at three tax sites in our service area: Panama City, Port St. Joe, and Wewahitchka, Florida.
VITA services are not only free, but they are also a reliable and trusted source for preparing tax returns. All VITA volunteers who prepare returns must take and pass tax law training that meets or exceeds IRS standards. This training includes maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of all taxpayer information. In addition to requiring volunteers to certify their knowledge of the tax laws, the IRS requires a quality review check for every return prepared at a VITA site prior to filing the tax return. Each filing season, tens of thousands of dedicated VITA volunteers prepare millions of federal and state returns. They also assist taxpayers with the preparation of thousands of Facilitated Self-Assistance returns.
Tax Sites that will be open for the upcoming 2022 tax filing season are:
VITA-Panama City
Glenwood Community Center
722 East 9th Street
Panama City, FL 32401
VITA-Port St. Joe
Corrine Costin Gibson Memorial Public Library
110 Library Drive
Port St. Joe, FL 32456
VITA-Wewahitchka
Charles Whitehead Public Library
314 North Second Street
Wewahitchka, FL 32465