Goodwill VITA Program Offers Free Help Filing Taxes For Those Who Need It

As tax season kicks off, Goodwill Tulsa is offering free help to people who need it.

Coordinators of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program say they helped more than 5,000 people file taxes last year and they expect to do more this year.

It's a time of year many people dread, with all the forms, deadlines, and time required to please the IRS.

"Oh my goodness tax season is stressful for everyone, right? That's something everybody has to do, file taxes, and it's something no one ever looks forward to, so we want to take that stress off people's plates," says Kelsey Schultz.

She runs Goodwill's Volunteers Income Tax Assistance program, or VITA for short, and says 20 volunteers enlisted this year to help people file their taxes for free.

"Everybody has to file taxes, but that also can come with a high cost and you know a family who's struggling and needs that tax return to get them caught up on bills shouldn't then have to pay a tax preparer hundreds of dollars to get their taxes done," Schultz said.

The program is for anyone who meets just one of these qualifications: Lives in a household that brings in less than $64,000 a year, has a disability, or has limited English speaking ability.

"I would encourage anybody who can take advantage of it to take advantage of it because it's a wonderful service to have," says Michel Porter.

He was one of the first through the doors today and says finding time to do taxes can be a chore, but the VITA program made it easy.

"Offers a real good service and helped me as far as scheduling around things it fits in perfect," he says.

For people like Micheal, Goodwill has become more than just a place to donate old clothes, it's a place that provides a helping hand.

"It is a need in the community and it helps out a lot of people," says Porter.

Goodwill says they still have plenty of appointments available, but they are always looking for volunteers to help out.

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