“I’ve been really trying to avoid it,” said Heertje, a former social worker, about filing taxes in the States. “One time I tried doing it myself, and it looked like it would be a complete failure because I think I would have owed money. I didn’t go through with it; I just called you guys [at United Way] because I said I clearly do not know what I’m doing.”

Hertje said she is currently unemployed but that she and her husband, a social worker, will use United Way’s Free Tax service as long as they meet the income requirements.

Funded by United Way, the IRS, and the City of Seattle, United Way’s Free Tax Prep is for residents who make up to $80,000 a year (or up to $96,000 for non-single filers). United Way tax preparation specialists will help clients understand their tax situation and take advantage of credits such as the Earned Income Credit and the Working Families Tax Credit. 

This year, United Way served 18,200 of our neighbors, helping them access over $16 million in tax credits and refunds. Additionally, United Way launched MyFreeTaxesWA.org, which connects community members like Michelle with free tax assistance statewide and features a resource hub so partners can share resources to improve programming across the state. This is particularly helpful for smaller organizations that provide free tax prep in the state. 

We are now looking for volunteers for more than 20 Free Tax Prep locations throughout King County, including sites at the Downtown Seattle Library and in the Southcenter Mall, as well as our virtual site. Volunteers are fully trained and IRS certified to help people keep more of what they earn by leveraging some anti-poverty tax credits and preparing their taxes for free.  

We have both in-person and virtual volunteer opportunities, including:

 In-Person Tax Preparation Specialists: Prepare tax returns at one of our locations across King County. All specialists are trained to obtain Advanced IRS Tax Law VITA certification. 

Community Intake Specialists: Assist at our tax sites by maintaining client waitlists, answering questions, and connecting clients to important community resources. 

Virtual Tax Preparation Specialists: Prepare tax returns and interface with clients online via the Free Tax Preparation Campaign’s end-to-end case management tool. 

Heertje says she used to have her taxes done in person but has switched to our virtual service since the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“I’ve always been happy with [the Free Tax Prep]. And I really like doing it virtually because it’s a lot more convenient,” said Heertje. “I’ve only received refunds. We are doing something right. One year it wasn’t as much, but other years it was a lot.” 

Heertje said she was employed as a social worker while her husband was in school. Now, he’s the breadwinner; she takes care of their children and does volunteer work. Though they’ve switched roles and grown their family, they haven’t had to worry about the increased cost of filing taxes (which in Washington state is about $270 or more for a basic, individual return and much more for returns with itemized deductions). 

She said she hopes it stays that way. 

“It’s a really supportive way to take care of taxes, and I believe there is a lot of honesty and care that goes into it when the taxes are done,” said Heertje. “In my experience, they have always been done correctly. It has been helpful not only to have it done this way to save myself time and energy, but also to do it correctly. That has always been a good relief.” 

 United Way tax sites will open on January 25th, but we are already seeking volunteers. To sign up, please visit www.uwkc.org/taxvolunteer.

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