How VITA Saves Barbara Time & Money
Barbara Powell moved to Redding in 2013. A veteran and former business owner, Barbara never had to file taxes on her own until three years ago. “I completely got it wrong,” she admitted. “The IRS even wrote me a letter.” Fortunately, Barbara learned about United Way’s free tax preparation service, VITA, through the Veteran’s Administration.
“It was such a relief,” Barbara shared. The appointments only take between forty-five minutes to an hour depending on the extent of a person’s needs, which she really appreciates because it gives her more time to focus on school. “It’s a really organized program and really helpful, personable staff….I didn’t have to pay for the service and you find out right away how much your refund is.” Barbara said that she was pleasantly surprised to find out she was getting money back two years in a row thanks to the team at VITA.
This year, using VITA is easier than ever. “I just dropped it off and picked it up later when I was ready.” However, even with the added convenience, juggling school and getting her taxes done provided some unexpected obstacles. During her phone appointment, Barbara had to cut the call short to take care of a time sensitive matter with her school. “I trust the team to take care of everything even though I’m not sitting there with them because they’re very capable and know what they’re doing.”
Thankfully she knew her VITA preparer from the previous years. “I had worked with Camille the year before and I had also spoken to her the year before that,” Barbara said. “If you ever meet Camille, she’s the nicest person ever.” Camille and the VITA team took care of everything. They understand that many of their clients, like Barbara, are juggling work, family, school, and more. “She was so gracious! It probably endeared me even more to VITA and to the United Way and the efforts that they do to help our community.”
To make an appointment with United Way of Northern California’s VITA team, call 530.241.7521. All appointments are virtual this year, which means you don’t have to be in Redding, or even Shasta County, to take advantage of VITA. While the drop-off services are limited to folks who make $66,000 or less annually, MyFreeTaxes.org, the online version, is available to anyone regardless of their income.