Lifeline again offering free tax preparation help for low-income filers

For the 12th consecutive year, free tax preparation help is available to low-income families and individuals in Lake County and newly available this year in Geauga County.

Lifeline wants to help families and individuals meet their filing obligations, find credits they may not know about and protect them from unnecessary costs, according to a news release.

“Many people struggle with preparing taxes,” Executive Director Carrie Dotson stated in the release. “Low-income people really cannot afford expensive advice to get the refund they should. We want everyone to know there is an alternative.”

In particular, Dotson believes Lifeline can help many families and individuals who may not realize they qualify for the Earned Income Credit, the release stated. The EIC is a federal income tax credit for low- to moderate-income working families and individuals.

“A lot of families are at a different place financially than they were a year ago,” Dotson said. “If they earned less in 2020 than they did in 2019, they might qualify for the credit but not be thinking about it.”

Even single adults and couples without children can qualify for the credit, although families with children receive larger credits.

“Millions of EIC dollars go unclaimed every year,” Dotson said. “We don’t want that to happen in our community. The low-income people of Lake and Geauga counties can count on Lifeline, Inc. for free tax help.”

Lifeline uses volunteers trained and certified by the IRS through its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. VITA volunteers provide free income tax assistance to low-income, elderly and disabled people.

This year Lifeline VITA volunteers have added military certifications to their knowledge base and will be able to assist in preparing tax returns for active and veteran military members, the release stated.

“Filing for the 2021 Tax Season will begin on Feb. 12 and we will begin preparing taxes on Feb. 1,” Lifeline Program Coordinator Tiffany Menosky stated in the release. “Our volunteers have put in many hours in the last two months to prepare and certify as IRS trained volunteers.

“All of our volunteers are certified for advanced returns this year, ensuring that we are able to help more people at our clinics.”

Through the tax clinics, Lifeline volunteers have prepared tax filings for over 1,500 residents, totaling $1,995,268 in returns and our clients have kept every penny of those returns, the release stated.

Free tax preparation is available to residents who meet Lifeline’s federal income guidelines. Clinics are available on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, by appointment only, through April 15.

Clinics are held at Lifeline’s Painesville office at One Victoria Place Suite 265 A, at the Perry Senior Center in Perry, at the Wickliffe Family Resource Center and at Lifeline’s Geauga Office at 12375 Kinsman Road Building H in Newbury.

Appointments can be scheduled by calling Lifeline’s Lake County 2-1-1 at 2-1-1 or 440-639-4420.

All tax clinics will be held in person by appointment only and will be in a safe and socially distant manner meeting all CDC guidelines, the release stated.