By Courtney Dentch
Low-income families and some individuals in Queens may be eligible for free tax preparation and filing being offered through April by the Community Food Resource Center.
The CFRC has set up a “Money Central” site in Jamaica where families who earned under $35,000 in 2002 and individuals who earned less than $15,000 can meet with tax advisers who will file their federal and state tax returns as well as help them apply for additional credits, said Monica Jimenez, an outreach coordinator with the CFRC, an advocacy group for low-income New Yorkers.
The Queens site is one of four centers throughout the city where families can receive tax assistance as part of the CFRC program, Jimenez said.
“Low-income families can come to our center, get their taxes done for free so they can keep what they earned,” she said. “We want them to keep all their money.”
Often the families will overpay an accountant to complete their taxes or not know what the rates are until they receive a bill, Jimenez said. People may also take loans to cover the accountant's fees and borrow against their expected tax refunds, often paying a high interest rate, she said.
“A lot of the times they don't know how much they're going to pay when they go in there,” Jimenez said. “When you get a loan, they take it out of your refund so that's less money that you're getting back.”
The CFRC has volunteers with financial backgrounds, including accountants, at the centers to prepare the returns, Jimenez said. All volunteers receive training from the Internal Revenue Service and the CFRC on tax preparation and special credits families may be eligible for, she said.
The program is also aimed at educating people about the additional credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, which could be worth up to $5,000 in refunds, and the Child tax Credit of up to $600 per child, Jimenez said.
“Most families with these criteria are also eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit,” she said of the eligibility requirements set by CFRC. “A lot of people don't know about the EITC and we're trying to educate.”
In addition to tax assistance, the centers will have information on savings accounts, food stamps, health insurance and more, Jimenez said.
The tax preparation was offered last year as a pilot program, and the centers saw about 2,200 people in the city, Jimenez said. This year the CFRC is hoping to reach 8,000 people, she said.
The Queens site, in the First Presbyterian Church at 89-60 164th St. in Jamaica, opened Jan. 21 and will continue through April 15. “Money Central” is open Monday to Thursday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. People should bring a Social Security card or individual taxpayer identification number and W-2 forms and other tax-related documents. For more information, call 1-866-WAGE-PLUS.
Reach reporter Courtney Dentch by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com, or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 138.
