We have been providing free income tax assistance to families in Merced since 2012

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, better known as VITA, was adopted by the United Way of Merced County in 2012. Since then, we have brought back millions of dollars into the local community and saved families thousands in return preparation fees.

What we do

Our IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to individuals and families, ITIN application assistance, and general income tax guidance. Generally qualified taxpayers include:

  • Taxpayers making less than $56,000 / year

  • Taxpayers with disabilities

  • Limited-English speaking taxpayers

How we do it

1. Pre-Filing Season: Volunteer Recruitment & Training
Every year we recruit and train new volunteers from all areas and all walks of life. These volunteers go through instructor-led training and pass multiple competency exams before they earn their IRS volunteer tax preparer certification.

2. During Filing Season: Tax Preparation
During the filing season, we offer multiple options for taxpayers to take advantage of our services. We offer traditional in-person tax preparation as well as virtual tax preparation.

3. Post-Filing Season: Support & Guidance
After the tax deadline has passed, our volunteers continue to provide support and guidance for taxpayers who were late filers, need amendments, or receive letters & notices regarding their returns.

Why we do it

The majority of Merced County’s residents live below the federal poverty line, and paying to have your taxes prepared can cost $200-300 on average, and for many hard-working families, that price is out of reach. By utilizing our free tax preparation program, our families get to keep 100% of their refund instead of paying unnecessary and often outrageous fees.

Last year VITA volunteers across the country prepared more than 3.5 million tax returns. This was only made possible by the 82,000 people who volunteered their time to become trained and certified in tax law and assist the families and individuals that needed it. This program helps put money back into the taxpayer’s pocket by guaranteeing their maximum refund without costing them a dime.