CUMMING — The United Way of Forsyth County will offer free tax preparation assistance for families meeting certain financial requirements later this month. For the second year in row, United Way is holding the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, or VITA, program from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 18 at the office, 240 Elm St. Tax preparation from trained volunteers is open to any family in Forsyth or a surrounding county that had a total household income of less than $58,000 in 2013.“We hosted it last year for the first time, although The Place of Forsyth County had been a VITA site in the past,” said Melissa Corliss, the local United Way’s director of community impact. Corliss said while the event is free, anyone interested in attending must call in advance to make an appointment. Also, organizers have expanded the time frame that appointments will be available.“Last year, we did it for half a day on Saturday, and this year we’re having it for a whole day so we hope that brings in some more people,” Corliss said. “We’ve had people that used the service last year call back to set up an appointment for this year.” Corliss said appointments will be made on a first-come, first-serve basis, so those interested shouldn’t wait to call.“If there are any openings, we can still schedule appointments all the way through the day before, the 17th,” she said. “However, [the volunteer preparers] are only here for the one day from 9 to 5, so the earlier they call, the easier it will be to get a slot that meets their schedule.” Those who secure an appointment will need to plan to bring several documents, including a valid photo identification, Social Security card or letter, 2013 tax return, all W-2s for the year, and a voided check or account number so they can have their refund direct deposited into a bank account. A full list of the required documentation can be found at United Way’s website, www.unitedwayforsyth.com. Corliss said she is expecting families from primarily Forsyth and Dawson counties to take part in the program.“We sent the information to the nonprofits that we work with in [those] counties so they could get the information to their folks,” said Corliss, adding that she hopes all the appointment slots fill up.“We think this is a benefit to the community and to those families that meet the criteria so we hope we will see a nice turnout,” she said.
CUMMING — The United Way of Forsyth County will offer free tax preparation assistance for families meeting certain financial requirements later this month. For the second year in row, United Way is holding the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, or VITA, program from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 18 at the office, 240 Elm St. Tax preparation from trained volunteers is open to any family in Forsyth or a surrounding county that had a total household income of less than $58,000 in 2013.“We hosted it last year for the first time, although The Place of Forsyth County had been a VITA site in the past,” said Melissa Corliss, the local United Way’s director of community impact. Corliss said while the event is free, anyone interested in attending must call in advance to make an appointment. Also, organizers have expanded the time frame that appointments will be available.“Last year, we did it for half a day on Saturday, and this year we’re having it for a whole day so we hope that brings in some more people,” Corliss said. “We’ve had people that used the service last year call back to set up an appointment for this year.” Corliss said appointments will be made on a first-come, first-serve basis, so those interested shouldn’t wait to call.“If there are any openings, we can still schedule appointments all the way through the day before, the 17th,” she said. “However, [the volunteer preparers] are only here for the one day from 9 to 5, so the earlier they call, the easier it will be to get a slot that meets their schedule.” Those who secure an appointment will need to plan to bring several documents, including a valid photo identification, Social Security card or letter, 2013 tax return, all W-2s for the year, and a voided check or account number so they can have their refund direct deposited into a bank account. A full list of the required documentation can be found at United Way’s website, www.unitedwayforsyth.com. Corliss said she is expecting families from primarily Forsyth and Dawson counties to take part in the program.“We sent the information to the nonprofits that we work with in [those] counties so they could get the information to their folks,” said Corliss, adding that she hopes all the appointment slots fill up.“We think this is a benefit to the community and to those families that meet the criteria so we hope we will see a nice turnout,” she said.