Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
Interested in volunteering with VITA?
Contact Rachel Cheeseman at rcheeseman@uwlafayette.org
Save time by downloading all the information you will need ahead of your appointment! Intake Paperwork
United Way’s VITA Program offers free income tax assistance to eligible community members with the help of IRS-certified volunteers. Documents can be submitted virtually using our online intake form, or you can schedule an appointment to come to our office using the self-scheduling tool below. If you have questions, text 765-421-6163 or email taxes@uwlafayette.org
Eligibility Considerations: Individuals making $78,000 or less are likely eligible for VITA services. You are out of scope for our program if you own or manage a rental property, have farm income, exchange virtual currency (e.g. bitcoin), are selling a home under contract, or operated at a loss as a self-employed contractor/business owner.
If you are a Purdue International Student filing as a non-resident for tax purposes looking for tax preparation services you can find information about your taxes here.
FILE YOUR OWN TAXES, FOR FREE!
Want to try preparing your own taxes this year? United Way Worldwide has partnered with a variety of tax preparation service providers to make their products available to individuals and families for free. Answer a few quick questions, and you’ll be directed to the best product available for your unique situation. To begin, you’ll want to make sure you have…
- A valid email address
- Income Forms (w2’s, 1099’s, 1098’s)
- And other items from the Tax Checklist
Not sure which tax preparation method is best for you? Check out our new screener below!
FILE WITH THE HELP OF CERTIFIED VOLUNTEERS
If you would prefer a full-service or dropoff appointment, you can schedule an appointment online, or call us at 765.421.6163. This line can get very busy, so we might not always be able to answer, but if you leave us a message, we will get back to you as soon as we can!
• Plan to arrive about 10 minutes before your scheduled appointment time to complete intake paperwork in your car. You can also download or pick up an intake appointment packet to complete in the comfort of your home.
• A team member will review your intake paperwork to help clear up any questions before seating you with a volunteer tax preparer.
• If you choose a dropoff appointment, make sure to add 765.421.6163 to your contacts as “United Way VITA.” We will call/text you from this number when your return is ready to pick up, or if we have questions along the way.
SUBMIT YOUR TAX DOCUMENTS VIRTUALLY
If you have a simple return, you can probably save yourself a trip to the office by submitting your tax documents virtually. You can complete our online intake form in about 20-30 minutes from the comfort of your own home and wait to receive a text from United Way when your return is ready to pick up.
Watch the video to learn more about this process and see if it would be a good fit for you!
- Step 1: Take pictures of all your tax documents, including social security cards, photo IDs, and any tax-related forms or letters you received in the mail.
- Step 2: Complete the online intake form, uploading pictures of your documents as you’re prompted to do so. For your safety, make sure to delete all photos with sensitive personal information from your gallery when you’ve completed the form.
- Step 3: Add 765.421.6163 to your contacts as United Way VITA. We’ll call or text you from this number when your tax return is ready to pick up, or if we have questions along the way.
- Step 4: When your tax return is ready to pick up, come to our office to pick up your return between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. We will want to verify your identity before providing you a copy of your return, so please bring your ID and social security card.