Seedco, Community Partners to Offer Free Tax Prep Services

NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As tax season kicks off, Seedco – a national workforce and economic development nonprofit headquartered in New York – is again offering free tax preparation services to low- and moderate-income filers at four convenient locations across the city.

Seedco's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax services to qualifying clients from January through the end of April. In 2011, Seedco's network completed nearly 6,000 returns, worth almost $10 million in refunds.

All VITA tax preparers are trained and certified by the IRS to ensure that clients claim all eligible credits and deductions, including the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The EITC is a critical form of support for working families that is potentially worth up to nearly $8,000 for a family in New York City. At Seedco VITA sites, tax prep clients are also assisted in applying for other income-enhancing benefits such as food stamps, children's health insurance programs, and heating and energy assistance programs.

"Seedco is looking forward to offering free tax prep services to working individuals and families this year," said Seedco President and CEO Barbara Dwyer Gunn. "This free service helps promote economic stability by enabling clients to keep their entire refund, instead of having to pay hundreds of dollars in fees. And because most refunds are spent locally, there is a positive effect on local economies."

Seedco's VITA program is funded by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and Single Stop USA.

For more information, including a list of VITA tax prep locations, visit www.seedco.org/taxprep

About Seedco:
Seedco is a national nonprofit organization founded in 1987 that advances economic opportunity for people, businesses, and communities in need. Seedco designs and implements innovative programs and services around workforce development, work and family supports, and community finance and small-business services. For more information about Seedco, visit www.seedco.org.

SOURCE Seedco