WINONA LAKE - The William P. Gordon Institute for Enterprise Development at Grace College and the United Way of Kosciusko County will partner together to host an IRS endorsed Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program in Kosciusko County in February and March.
VITA offers free tax assistance to qualifying taxpayers, usually of lower income, who require assistance in preparing their own tax returns.
In order to provide this service, the William P. Gordon Institute and the United Way are seeking volunteers who are willing to help serve the Kosciusko community. Volunteers will undergo specific certification training, though professional tax preparers may opt out of training and test online for certification.
VITA aims to help working families take advantage of all tax credits for which they are eligible, including earned income tax credit, child tax credits and education credits. This not only assists the individual family, but also increases tax dollars in the county.
William P. Gordon Institute Director Tim Ziebarth said the program is a synergistic opportunity for everyone in our community.
"The Gordon Institute in collaboration with Kosciusko County United Way is excited to use VITA as a platform to serve the community. We hope to see Grace students, alumni and community friends get involved in the VITA program. Volunteers will get a unique hands-on learning experience and the community recipients will benefit from free tax assistance," he said.
Anyone interested in volunteering as a tax preparer, screener/greeter, or quality control person, or those interested in finding out more about how the VITA program might help them, should contact Tim Ziebarth at tjziebarth@grace.edu or call 574-372-5100, Ext. 6129.
