United Way of King County’s Tax Preparation Campaign is back!

If you make less than $80,000 a year as a single filer or (or less than $96,000 for non-single filers), you can have your taxes prepared for free at one of our 20 locations across King County. Those sites are now open through April 19, and we have a virtual site that runs from February 2 through April 19.

Funded by United Way, the IRS, and the City of Seattle, the Free Tax Prep Campaign offers tax preparation by specialists who will help clients understand their unique tax situations and take advantage of credits like the Earned Income Credit and the Working Families Tax Credit. Many United Way Free Tax Prep sites allow people who need an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to file, apply for, or renew an ITIN.

According to the IRS.gov website, an ITIN is a 9-digit number the IRS issues to those who need a U.S. taxpayer identification number for federal tax purposes but aren’t eligible for a Social Security number (SSN). Residents who are not U.S. citizens often require ITINs to file their tax returns.

Many United Way Free Tax Prep Campaign sites also offer language interpreters at many sites for people who prefer to be served in a language other than English.

Last year, United Way served 18,000 of our neighbors via our Free Tax Prep Campaign, helping them secure nearly $17 million in tax credits and refunds.

This year, we understand that the filing season comes amid increased threats from immigration enforcement. This might make visiting a tax site this tax season much scarier for many of our neighbors than in previous seasons.

Ryan McFerran, United Way Senior Manager of Tax Credits and Financial Stability, said that connecting with our volunteers by visiting United Way’s virtual tax site offers a lower-risk alternative to visiting a tax site in person.

“Unfortunately, we are limited in the number of people we can serve virtually at a time and typically can accept new virtual tax clients in April, during the peak of the tax season,” said McFerran.

“Additionally, we cannot offer the same complimentary services virtually as we can in-person, such as onsite ITIN application assistance,” McFerran added. “Everyone’s situation is different, and we cannot tell an individual or family if they should or should not file, or how they should go about filing. Instead, we encourage everyone to determine their unique needs and consider the benefits and risks of filing based on what is best for you.”

McFerran said United Way prioritizes the safety of clients and volunteers and empowers tax site managers to minimize risk, protect vulnerable community members, and prevent access to sensitive information. He said that United Way staff are continually monitoring immigration enforcement activities both within our community and across the nation and updating site response plans as necessary.

McFerran added that those who decide to visit a United Way site in person should take these steps before arrival:

• Make sure you have everything you need to file your taxes beforehand. Missing documentation or information is the main reason why some clients have to visit a tax site more than once in a season. Fewer visits mean less potential exposure.
• Not every tax site offers ITIN assistance or language interpreters, and those that do might not offer the service each day. Information about when and where ITIN and language support is available can be found at freetaxexperts.org. Although an in-person interpreter is not always available, we can serve clients in a wide variety of languages at all our sites by using computer- and phone-based services like Language Line.
• You are free to leave a United Way Free Tax Prep site at any point if you ever feel unsafe or change your mind about filing, no questions asked. There is never a cost for our services, and you are welcome to come back at another time, including after the tax season, when a select number of locations will remain open on reduced schedules through late July.

Lastly, said McFerran, “Consider filing sooner rather than later if you can. Our volunteers can generally serve clients and get them out of their door much more quickly in February and March. Unfortunately, many tax sites have long wait times during the last few weeks leading up to the April 15th filing deadline.”

For more information about our Free Tax Prep Campaign, visit www.freetaxexperts.org.