You've probably received your W-2's or income statements from your employers by now. If you earned less than $49,000 last year, you could qualify for free tax preparation. There isn't much in life that is free so I suggest you take advantage of this legitimate offer. This free tax preparation is offered by "VITA" sites. VITA stands for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and is a program offered by the IRS and local organizations. Volunteers are trained and certified. They know how to prepare basic tax returns and will check to see if you qualify for certain tax credits. Your return can be filed electronically and you can receive your refund quickly. There is no need to pay anywhere from $75 to $150 to a for-profit tax preparer, along with paying to receive your refund "rapidly" often at another cost of $100 or more, depending on your refund amount. Save yourself that money and use a VITA site near you. To find a VITA site near you, call 1-800-906-9887 or go online to the IRS VITA
website. In Maryland, check
MD CASH Campaign's website to find a location. They are a non-profit organization--whom I work for--full disclosure--whose partners operate VITA sites. Now that you are saving some money on tax preparation, stay tuned for ideas on where to put that savings so it can grow for you!
