Philly My free Taxes Campaign Kick-Off

Posted by on January 23, 2011

Please make plans to join us on Tuesday, January 25th, 2011 at 11am here at the United Way as we officially “kick-off” our My Free Taxes Initiative.

WHAT: United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania (UWSEPA) will host a kick-off event at its Philadelphia location to announce its “Philly My free Taxes Campaign” to officially usher in the start of the 2011 tax season.  This initiative, now in its 3rd year at UWSEPA and other United Ways throughout the country, has been made possible through the generous support of the Wal-Mart Foundation and in partnership with United Way Worldwide (UWW), One Economy’s theBeehive.org, the National Disability Institute’s Real Economic Impact Tour (REI Tour), and the Campaign for Working Families (CWF, a local partner).  This initiative’s central aim is to assist taxpayers earning less $50,000 may visit a site equipped with One Economy’s online tax filing technology.  At these sites IRS-certified VITA volunteers will work with you to file your own state and federal taxes for free.

Further, UWSEPA will be announcing its continued support of the work being done through our regional suburban coalitions—the Montgomery County Tax Coalition and Delaware County Asset Development Group—in their accomplishments to date and in their efforts this tax season to reach more individuals and families. To date, these organizations reach over 15,000 individuals to educate them about the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) available to families within a certain income bracket, and to assist those families with tax preparation.

WHY: The IRS estimates that approximately 20 percent of eligible individuals and families are unaware that they qualify to receive the EITC. Initiatives such as these not only increase awareness, but make free tax prep and EITC more accessible to qualified tax filers.

HIGHLIGHTS/FEATURES: One highlight of this campaign is the MyFreeTaxes.com mobile van tour which will visit various community organizations in the region to help individuals file their own taxes for free.  Secondly, CWF tax sites will make the MyFreeTaxes.com site available, where IRS-certified volunteers will walk willing tax payers through the tool, helping them file their own state and federal taxes for free.  Lastly, MyFreeTaxes.com will be available online: http://www.myfreetaxes.com/uwsepa for taxpayers earning less than $57,000 who are willing to “do it themselves”. Through this website, taxpayers are guided through the steps of filing one’s own taxes.

(**Statistical results from 2010 initiative available upon request**)

WHO:               Jill Michal, President and CEO, United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania
John Mims, Philadelphia area Market Manager, Wal-Mart
Khadijah Jones, Director of Campaign for Working Families

Campaign for Working Families’ mobile team and the MyFreeTaxes mobile van will be assisting individuals in filing their own taxes for free from 12 – 2pm.

WHEN:             Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Kick-off Event: 11:00 am
Tax prep assistance: 12:00 – 2:00 pm

WHERE:           United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania
1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Lobby 4

***PLEASE JOIN US FOR THIS IMPORTANT EVENT***