Free tax preparation services for low-income Evanston residents will be available at LIFT-Evanston this tax season.
The local chapter of the national organization, which combats poverty by providing job and health support to low-income residents, added tax preparation services to its repertoire five years ago.
From Jan. 30 to April 13, Northwestern student volunteers will help individuals earning less than $25,000 and families earning less than $50,000 file their annual tax returns.
“The fact that a 19-year-old who has never filed their own taxes is doing this for a 40-year-old is really cool,” said Kristen Gietzen, LIFT-Evanston site coordinator.
NU volunteers put in extra training and weekend hours to perform tax preparation services, and Gietzen said their dedication to the program “really comes through.”
Gietzen added LIFT-Evanston is the city’s only free tax preparation site.
The training volunteers receive allows residents who use the service to capitalize on lesser-known tax credits that can lead to significant savings, Gietzen said.
In 2011, 25 volunteers served over 200 clients and garnered $75,000 in savings, she said.
Communication sophomore Corinne Worthington will be one of those volunteers this year. She said the service is critical for the Evanston community because it provides residents with free tax advice they can trust.
“Some of these people would have difficulty finding people to file their taxes otherwise,” said Worthington, who started volunteering with LIFT-Evanston last year. “I think it’s great for LIFT volunteers to learn these skills and use them to help people.”
Though Worthington has never filed her own taxes, she said volunteers undergo comprehensive training to ensure thorough knowledge of tax forms. She added the eligibility requirements for filing with LIFT guarantees straightforward and uncomplicated tax profiles.
Gietzen said LIFT-Evanston can complete a client’s tax filings in about 30 minutes. Most people spend nearly 10 hours working on their own tax forms, she said.
“Tax preparation is very hard to do for a lot of people, and the fact that we’re able to give this back to the community is really, really cool,” Gietzen said.
Free tax preparation will be available at LIFT-Evanston’s office, 1932 Dewey Ave., from Jan. 30 to April 13. Specific hours are available on the organization’s website.
