_ Colorado East Rural Tax Initiative
The Colorado Asset Building Coalition (CABC), in partnership with the IRS, has identified an extreme shortage of VITA services specific to the four rural Eastern Colorado counties of Cheyenne, Elbert, Kit Carson and Lincoln (target region). IRS data for the target region demonstrates that 8,388 (60%) of the 13,902 tax returns completed during the 2008 tax season were VITA/EITC eligible while a mere 17 (less than 1%) of those were prepared at a VITA site. Furthermore, IRS estimates suggest that annually, 25% of taxpayers, or 500 individuals in the target region, most likely to qualify for tax credits do not file a return at all.
CERTI’s goal is to assist needy families so that children can be cared for in their own home by reducing the number of children and families living in poverty through improved availability, accessibility and use of VITA services and increased awareness and uptake of the EITC in the target region. IRS data suggests that on average, one third of VITA eligible individuals qualify to receive the EITC. CERTI aims to ensure access to $232,500 in EITCs for 155 TANF eligible individuals in the target population by achieving VITA program participation among 470 of the approximate 9,788 residents.
CERTI’s plan for achievement of its goals includes four activities: Stakeholder and Volunteer Recruitment & Training, Awareness Building, EITC Education and Eligibility Assessment and Free Tax Preparation, and Asset Building Education.
Governor's Commission on Community Service - AmeriCorps
CABC's AmeriCorps program aims to provide free tax preparation services, financial education and asset building counseling to 750 of the approximate 10,370 families in the seven county region (Kit Carson, Lincoln, Cheyenne, Elbert, Washington, Yuma and Adams) who are either VITA/EITC eligible or new to filing a tax return through the development and execution of a Non-face-to-face VITA program with video technology. Non-face-to-face programs are intended for areas where traditional VITA sites are not practical due to a lack of volunteers, equipment and/or space and have been proven successful in helping to increase access to VITA services as well as awareness and uptake of the EITC in rural or underserved populations. The use of video technology is intended to assist with the Non-face-to-face tax preparation process by enabling real-time communication between the taxpayer and the tax preparer.
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
In 2008, 5,332 free tax returns were completed at VITA sites hosted by CABC’s member organizations. In 2009, 11,626 free tax returns valued at $8.3 million were completed at VITA sites hosted by CABC’s member organizations. The CABC’s 36 VITA sites covered ¾ of the state and volunteers prepared ¼ of the total VITA returns filed in Colorado for that year. Over 250 volunteers donated over 8,000 hours of service to the CABC’s 2009 VITA program. During the 2010 tax season, CABC, in partnership with the IRS, successfully launched an alternative filing VITA pilot program in the Denver area. The CABC estimates that over 12,000 hours of volunteer service will be donated to its 2010 VITA program.
In addition to our efforts with established sites, we have developed an alternative filing VITA program that is intended for areas where traditional VITA sites are not practical due to a lack of volunteers, equipment and/or space and have been proven successful in helping to increase access to VITA services as well as awareness and uptake of the EITC in rural or underserved populations. The use of video technology is intended to assist with the alternative tax preparation process by enabling real-time communication between the taxpayer and the tax preparer.
Colorado Economic Disability Iniative
The Colorado Disability Economic Initiative (CDEI) was developed independently and later adopted by the CABC to ensure equal access to asset building services among low-income individuals with disabilities throughout Colorado. The initiative organizes disability etiquette, benefits navigation, and microenterprise trainings for service providers and low-income individuals with disabilities throughout Colorado. CDEI has also successfully implemented a Deaftax pilot program in the Denver area, the local affiliate of the national Deaftax program of the National Disability Institute (NDI) which makes remote deaf to deaf tax preparation possible by utilizing state-of-the-art Video Relay Services (VRS) technology to connect deaf taxpayers with deaf tax preparers through a video-phone.
The Colorado Asset Building Coalition (CABC), in partnership with the IRS, has identified an extreme shortage of VITA services specific to the four rural Eastern Colorado counties of Cheyenne, Elbert, Kit Carson and Lincoln (target region). IRS data for the target region demonstrates that 8,388 (60%) of the 13,902 tax returns completed during the 2008 tax season were VITA/EITC eligible while a mere 17 (less than 1%) of those were prepared at a VITA site. Furthermore, IRS estimates suggest that annually, 25% of taxpayers, or 500 individuals in the target region, most likely to qualify for tax credits do not file a return at all.
CERTI’s goal is to assist needy families so that children can be cared for in their own home by reducing the number of children and families living in poverty through improved availability, accessibility and use of VITA services and increased awareness and uptake of the EITC in the target region. IRS data suggests that on average, one third of VITA eligible individuals qualify to receive the EITC. CERTI aims to ensure access to $232,500 in EITCs for 155 TANF eligible individuals in the target population by achieving VITA program participation among 470 of the approximate 9,788 residents.
CERTI’s plan for achievement of its goals includes four activities: Stakeholder and Volunteer Recruitment & Training, Awareness Building, EITC Education and Eligibility Assessment and Free Tax Preparation, and Asset Building Education.
Governor's Commission on Community Service - AmeriCorps
CABC's AmeriCorps program aims to provide free tax preparation services, financial education and asset building counseling to 750 of the approximate 10,370 families in the seven county region (Kit Carson, Lincoln, Cheyenne, Elbert, Washington, Yuma and Adams) who are either VITA/EITC eligible or new to filing a tax return through the development and execution of a Non-face-to-face VITA program with video technology. Non-face-to-face programs are intended for areas where traditional VITA sites are not practical due to a lack of volunteers, equipment and/or space and have been proven successful in helping to increase access to VITA services as well as awareness and uptake of the EITC in rural or underserved populations. The use of video technology is intended to assist with the Non-face-to-face tax preparation process by enabling real-time communication between the taxpayer and the tax preparer.
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
In 2008, 5,332 free tax returns were completed at VITA sites hosted by CABC’s member organizations. In 2009, 11,626 free tax returns valued at $8.3 million were completed at VITA sites hosted by CABC’s member organizations. The CABC’s 36 VITA sites covered ¾ of the state and volunteers prepared ¼ of the total VITA returns filed in Colorado for that year. Over 250 volunteers donated over 8,000 hours of service to the CABC’s 2009 VITA program. During the 2010 tax season, CABC, in partnership with the IRS, successfully launched an alternative filing VITA pilot program in the Denver area. The CABC estimates that over 12,000 hours of volunteer service will be donated to its 2010 VITA program.
In addition to our efforts with established sites, we have developed an alternative filing VITA program that is intended for areas where traditional VITA sites are not practical due to a lack of volunteers, equipment and/or space and have been proven successful in helping to increase access to VITA services as well as awareness and uptake of the EITC in rural or underserved populations. The use of video technology is intended to assist with the alternative tax preparation process by enabling real-time communication between the taxpayer and the tax preparer.
Colorado Economic Disability Iniative
The Colorado Disability Economic Initiative (CDEI) was developed independently and later adopted by the CABC to ensure equal access to asset building services among low-income individuals with disabilities throughout Colorado. The initiative organizes disability etiquette, benefits navigation, and microenterprise trainings for service providers and low-income individuals with disabilities throughout Colorado. CDEI has also successfully implemented a Deaftax pilot program in the Denver area, the local affiliate of the national Deaftax program of the National Disability Institute (NDI) which makes remote deaf to deaf tax preparation possible by utilizing state-of-the-art Video Relay Services (VRS) technology to connect deaf taxpayers with deaf tax preparers through a video-phone.
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