Increase incomes for working households: Grow the VITA Program
Published on May 19, 2020 in
Contact your legislators today and encourage them to help boost incomes for hardworking Michigan families by protecting and growing the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) is a federal program that provides free tax preparation services for individuals and families with low or moderate incomes. VITA ensures that working people can access benefits like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC), which can help lift working households out of poverty and set them on the path to economic stability.
VITA also provides a boost to local economies. In 2016, with the help of our partners at Accounting Aid Society and the City of Detroit, 18,150 more people used VITA-funded free tax preparation services. Those 18,150 people accessed tax credits that brought an additional $74.1 million to the community.
We need an increase in funding for VITA to help connect more households to these credits. That’s why we’re asking Congress to increase VITA funding to $25 million in the Fiscal Year 2020 budget.
Please join us in advocating for VITA by contacting your member of Congress today.