More than 500 volunteers with the County of San Diego are offering free tax preparation services this season to local, low-income residents.
The tax prep program kicked off Friday and will run through April 15. Volunteers will help prepare and file taxes electronically at nearly 100 locations across San Diego County.
To qualify for the service, locals must have made less than $62,000 in 2015.
The tax services program, which started in 2003, is part of the annual Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) campaign – the federal government’s largest assistance program to support low-income families.
The free local tax prep is the collaborative project of multiple organizations, including the County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), the IRS, AARP, United Way of San Diego and 211 San Diego, and part of Live Well San Diego. Supervisor Greg Cox helps spearhead the efforts.
To receive the services, locals can call 211 to schedule an appointment at a site near them, or schedule an appointment online. Locals may also visit the 211 website for more details.
According to the County, those who worked in 2015 and earned less than $53,505 could qualify for as much as $6,269 in federal EITC tax credit. The California credit could be as much as $2,653. Residents must file a tax return to be eligible for both credits.
