Tax time is often stressful. It can be especially hard for households in the North Tahoe area that need to maximize their refund but have difficulty paying fees for a third party tax preparer.

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA) is here to help. VITA is an IRS-sponsored service that offers free preparation of federal and California tax returns for households with income under $51,000.

Tax returns are prepared by volunteers that are trained and certified by the IRS, and other aspects of the program also depend on volunteers.

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In 2013, volunteers at Northern Nevada VITA sites prepared 3,376 federal tax returns for local residents and in the process helped those residents receive $2.4 million in tax credits and over $4.5 million in total refunds.

For the upcoming tax season, Tahoe Family Solutions is sponsoring a VITA site at the Donald W. Reynolds Community Non-profit Center in Incline Village.

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The VITA program supports that mission by helping families obtain all of the tax credits and refunds that are available to them, without having to pay extra fees to get their taxes done.

Volunteers are needed so that we can assist as many households as possible, which will also bring more dollars to our communities and help the local economy.

Adult volunteers of all ages and backgrounds are welcome. Volunteers can help in two different capacities:

• Tax Preparers work with clients to prepare and submit tax returns. All tax preparers get free tax training using IRS-approved materials. Training is available in both classroom and online formats, after which volunteers are certified by the IRS before starting to prepare tax returns.

• Greeters greet clients as they arrive at the site, help clients fill out an intake form, and then work with the Site Coordinator to direct each client to a Tax Preparer. No special training or certification is needed to be a Greeter. People who are proficient in both English and Spanish are especially helpful in this role.

For information, contact Mike Smith, volunteer site coordinator, at 775-830-2050 or msmithtahoe@gmail.com.