As tax season looms, free tax help is on the way around the state for taxpayers who meet the criteria.
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program offers free tax help to people who generally make $56,000 or less, people with disabilities and people who have limited English-speaking abilities who need assistance in preparing their tax returns, according to the Internal Revenue Service website. IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals.
In Pine Bluff, officials with the Pine Bluff Wealth Building Coalition, a group consisting of the Pine Bluff Interested Citizens for Voter Registration, Delta Sigma Lamda and Arkansas Community Institute announced tax preparation services.
On Saturday, qualifying taxpayers may present their tax information for help from IRS-trained volunteers who will assist them in filling out and filing their tax forms. The session will be from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Reynolds Community Center at 211 W. Third Ave. in Pine Bluff.
The Rev. Jesse Turner, director of Pine Bluff Interested Citizens for Voter Registration, said two locations in Pine Bluff will be open until April 15, and a third location until Oct. 13.
They are:
• The Delta Sigma Lambda Chapter at 1606 Lin Caru Drive, open from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, and from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturdays, through April 18. More information is available from William Campbell at (870) 723-4262.
• The Arkansas Community Institute-Pine Bluff at 3712 W. 34th Ave., open by appointment only Monday-Friday from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. through April 15. Appointments are available from Demetrius Melvin at (870) 536-6300.
• The Pine Bluff Interested Citizens for Voter Registration office at 211 W. Third St. in Pine Bluff, open Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. through Oct. 13 for tax assistance. Appointment information is available by calling Daphnne Goldsmith at (870) 730-1131.
Turner said offering tax assistance, including helping people who quality for the earned income tax credit, has put millions of dollars back into the community over the past 14 years.
"Any kind of resource we can bring to the city and provide for residents is what we've been doing since 2006," Turner said.
Elsewhere around Arkansas, there are an additional 75 tax assistance locations, including 11 in Little Rock, four in Hot Springs, four in Fort Smith and two in Benton. They are located in Southern Bancorp branches, Central Arkansas Development Council offices, United Way offices, Arkansas Asset Builders offices, public libraries and other locations.
The IRS offers a free, online locator tool at https://bit.ly/2tvGd4v to assist taxpayers in finding the nearest Volunteer Income Tax Assistance site.
More information is available online at https://bit.ly/2NOCyWi.
State Desk on 01/22/2020