Community Action Pioneer Valley’s tax prep program kicks off season
Published: 02-04-2025 12:26 PM |
GREENFIELD — A breakfast at Greenfield Community College last week kicked off the Massachusetts Association for Community Action’s 2025 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program that helps low-income taxpayers prepare their tax returns.
The event, attended by local legislators, also marked the 50th anniversary of the earned income tax credit, a refundable tax credit for low- to moderate-income working people and couples, particularly those with children. Community Action Pioneer Valley’s executive director, Claire Higgins, explained the tax credit was first conceptualized by President Richard Nixon and went into effect when signed into law by his successor, President Gerald Ford.
Higgins said the earned income tax credit and VITA offer a vital lifeline to help parents in the lowest income brackets pay some bills. IRS-certified volunteers donate their time to provide free tax preparation to people meeting minimum requirements for annual income, residency and taxes, while also helping them to access the earned income tax credit, the new child and family tax credit, and other credits to low-income taxpayers. The assistance of VITA volunteers helps low-income residents pay their bills, cover essential needs such as rent, and save and plan for the future.
“There are some challenges, right? Lots of people can do taxes. There’s lots of … businesses that do taxes. But for the families that we work with, that payment to [do] those taxes often takes a lot of the money that they were planning to use to pay other bills,” she said. “So the selling point of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program is that it’s free — 100% of the money that you get back, you keep. And that makes a huge difference.”
Kwabena Ayim, a program manager at the Massachusetts Association for Community Action (MASSCAP), said programs like VITA provide reliable relief for families.
“The thing about taxes is you have to do them every year,” he said lightheartedly.
A video was shown depicting a taxpaying participant who expressed gratitude for the program and the volunteers’ warmth and kindness. There were also recorded messages from U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern and U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey.
McGovern said Community Action agencies in Massachusetts help more than 15,000 low-income taxpayers benefit from more than $26 million in tax refunds, and this includes at least $1.3 million for Franklin County residents. There are approximately 80 VITA sites operating across the state, run by Community Action agencies and other community-based organizations and colleges.
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“My colleagues and I will continue to fight for programs like VITA, which make a real difference,” he said. “Donald Trump wants to cut funding for these crucial and critical programs, but he just ran into a great big wall of resistance. And that wall is us.”
McGovern referred to state Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, and state Rep. Natalie Blais, D-Deerfield, as champions for VITA.
“They’re incredible,” McGovern said. “I can’t thank them enough.”
Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-930-4120.