Volunteer preparer Carl Sellers goes over a W2 form with a client at the Lebanon City Site

Many lower to middle income residents of Lebanon County do not realize that the IRS owes them money!

Our United Way in partnership with several other organizations have been working with two volunteer tax preparation sites in Lebanon County. The sites are run entirely by volunteers and provide tax preparation and filing, for absolutely no charge, to residents of Lebanon County.

Bea Brown, the Coordinator and Administrator for the 23 South 6th street site, began working with the VITA program five years ago. "I had seen in the Patriot News that Harrisburg had a Money In Your Pocket program so I called up to volunteer as a greeter. Last year I went to Lebanon Valley College's site for one of their Super Saturday events. They wrote me this wonderful thank you note 'The students are doing this right', was my impression because of the wonderful note." When Brown saw a flyer sent out by RSVP for the new site in Lebanon City, she called to see how she could help. "I had no idea what I was in for," says Brown, laughing. Last year, Lebanon Valley College worked with the United Way of Lebanon County creating a program in which finance students prepare taxes as part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA). The site is open weekly to take appointments and hosts Super Saturday events to accept walk-in style tax preparation. After seeing the success of the LVC site, three non-profit organizations banded together, with the help of concerned community members, to create another site in the Lebanon City. The United Way of Lebanon County, The Lebanon County Community Action Partnership (CAP) and the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) worked together to set up a site at 23 South 6th Street, at the Democratic Headquarters. So why would anyone want to give up their free time to go through the vigorous training and prepare taxes? "I did it because of the premise of the program:" says Brown "keeping the money in the pockets of those who need it most." The program is totally free for clients with an income below $40,000 dollars or special circumstances such as layoffs or medical complications. "

"Many people are not obligated to pay taxes but are missing out on a lot of credits," says United Way of Lebanon County employee Romeeka Gayhart, "the IRS will contact you if you owe them something, but if they owe you money you'll have to trust your preparer to find that out!" Brown says that another reason she wanted to see the program in Lebanon was that the program "keeps more money in Lebanon County, where it will be spent and help out our economy."

Brown and Gayhart are both inspired by a return filed at the beginning of tax seasons for a man who was raising three sons on his own and had not filed taxes for years, because he didn't realize that he was eligible for credits. In fact he will receive over $5,000 that can be used to pay rent, heating bills, grocery bills and in this gentleman's case, diapers! "It just warms your heart to be thanked as the client leaves," says Brown "and to see a person who has not filed income tax for years to come in and go out with over 5,000 dollars in tax credit money really makes you feel like you've helped someone."

Although $5,000 is a best case scenario, and most clients get less money back, trained preparers can make sure that no money slips through the cracks. Preparers range in age from college students to retirees and all work as volunteers.

The LVC site has 19 students volunteering, more than doubling last year's group of students. The Lebanon City site has 14 volunteers: seven of whom are certified preparers, two who are completing training, four greeters, and one computer genius. "John Harvey, our IT person, has been incredible:" says Bea Brown. "He set up the network, hooked up all the computers, loaned his own personal computer to the site, and has made himself available at all times that the site is open in case of problems. Without him we would have no site." Brown also recognizes the generosity of the Democratic Committee for letting the program use the facilities of the Democratic Headquarters and three of their computers and internet connection.

Both of these programs are run entirely by volunteers and help tax payers who made under $40,000 dollars in 2008. The two sites opened their doors the beginning of February.

VITA sites in the News

Site Coordinator Bea Brown sits down with Comcast Local Edition

---

Volunteers see tax time as a chance to give back

By STEVE SNYDER
Staff Writer

Lebanon Daily News

After working for years as a paid tax preparer, Bob Rothermel decided to follow a different path this tax season.

Rothermel is one of about a dozen volunteers staffing a free tax-preparation service set up through three nonprofit agencies: the United Way of Lebanon County, Lebanon County Community Action Partnership, and Retired and Senior Volunteer Program.

Go on to Full Article

---

Download our Flyer