January 17, 2023 Free Tax Return Preparation in Allegheny County The Free Tax Preparation Coalition (sponsored by United Way of Southwestern PA), which provides free income tax return preparation throughout the region, is now taking appointments for the 2023 tax season. (This article was updated on January 17, 2023 to reflect scheduling and site information) Learn More Every year, Free Tax Preparation Coalition helps low-income households file their income tax return and maximize their tax refund. Many low-income people are eligible for tax credits and other refunds when they file their yearly tax return. For example, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is one of the nation’s largest anti-poverty programs, and can increase a family’s annual income by as much as 45 percent. More details are available on the Just Harvest website. Just Harvest is a leading member of the Free Tax Preparation Coalition. Tax preparation services are available from January 23 through April 18, 2023. Schedule an Appointment To schedule an appointment, you can contact the United Way Resource Navigators in three different ways: Dial 2-1-1 or 888-856-2773 Text your zip code to 898-211 Use United Way’s online scheduler to make an appointment Details, locations, and contact information are available on this flyer. More Resources GetYourRefund.org is a free virtual service supported by the IRS, U.S. Department of Treasury, and the White House that helps low-income households across America receive high quality tax services from the convenience of their home. Services open on January 31, 2023, at 1 p.m. Services are also available in Spanish. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax help to people who make $60,000 or less, persons with disabilities, and limited English-speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their tax returns. To locate an open site near you, use the VITA Locator Tool or call (888) 227-7669 (toll-free). The IRS Free File offers many online resources and tax help. Find tax forms, instructions and publications, online payment options, and more. Individuals can even prepare and file their federal income tax online for free. More information will be available in January 2023.
January 4, 2023 New Tax Guides for Child Care Professionals Civitas Strategies Early Start, in partnership with Wisconsin Early Education Shared Services (WEESSN) – a program of Wisconsin Early Childhood Association (WECA) – has developed tax guides specifically for child care providers nationwide. Learn More The guides focus on helping providers use the three largest online tax preparation software brands to address specific child care business scenarios. The tax guides give child care providers the specific knowledge they need to provide accurate information about their business and understand where to enter data into the software. These guides are not meant to be large or laborious tools – they remove a key barrier for providers in using these efficient, cost-effective online methods of tax preparation. Here are links to the guides for each software: Turbo Tax H&R Block TaxAct Once the tax software is released for the 2022 tax year, the guides will be updated with screenshots and videos instructing child care providers which areas they need focus on to ensure they have what they need to prepare their taxes. Details about the guides are available on the WECA website.
October 3, 2019 Generating Tax Revenue for Quality Early Care and Education The political and policy relevance of early care and education—and support for its expanded funding—is on the rise. Now is a great time for early childhood leaders to consider a previously overlooked approach to raising funds: dedicated state and local tax revenue for early care and education. Join this webinar to hear an introduction to essential guiding questions and seven tax areas that state and local early childhood leaders can consider pursuing to expand and diversify public funding for early care and education. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage. *Information provided by Build Initiative
April 22, 2019 Door Knocking: School Board Member Elections Being a School Board member is one of the most important elected positions in Pittsburgh. They play a vital role in our community property, including setting tax rates, negotiating the work rules and pay for all school staff, hiring key school administrators, and enacting policies that govern the district and budget. However, only one in five registered voters cast their votes during school board elections. How Can You Help? On May 21, 2019, voters will vote in the primary elections for Districts 2, 4, 6 and 8. You can help make sure voters are informed about the upcoming School Board elections by signing up to volunteer today and talking with your friends and neighbors. Interested volunteers can sign up for varying types of opportunities, including: Door Knocking, Phone Banking, and Giving Voters Information on Election Day. Volunteer Sign Up Sign up for canvassing today to support your local community. Other Sessions Phone Banking – Thursday, April 25 | A+ Schools Office | 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. | Learn more and register.
