Over the past 11 years, West Valley Community Services has offered the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program for low- and moderate-income taxpayers. VITA provides free basic tax return preparation to people who generally make $54,000 or less and need assistance in preparing or completing their tax returns. Clients are assisted by IRS-certified volunteers that have been recruited and trained by West Valley Community Services and are supervised by WVCS team members.
In 2022, West Valley Community Services helped 260 households through the VITA program, including:
255 e-filed returns
5 paper filed returns
80 returns with CA EITC claims
More than $230,000 in tax returns for program participants
In addition to operating during tax season, the WVCS VITA program provides year-round tax support, offering onsite, offsite, and virtual appointments from our office in Cupertino, and at our mobile locations such as the Moreland School District in San Jose.
West Valley Community Services' one-stop approach to service delivery is a good fit for the VITA program, as we are able to reach a broad community of folks who need this support but don’t have the money to pay for it.
As we look ahead to the 2023 tax season, we will hold Q&A sessions where taxpayers can learn about current tax laws and changes for 2022, and understand the documents needed in order to file. Beginning in February 2023, the WVCS VITA Office will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:30pm to 4:30pm for in-person document drop-off, scheduling appointments, and questions. VITA appointments will be booked for Saturdays from 11am to 2pm for taxpayers who would like one-on-one assistance with their tax returns.
The VITA Program at WVCS is made possible through grants from Silicon Valley Community Foundation and United Way Bay Area. We are deeply grateful for this partnership, which provides such a valuable resource for our community.