Welcome to Johnson County Social Services Free Tax Preparation Services


Information

bullet Social Services Home Page
bullet Child & Adult Protective Services
bullet Child Care Assistance
bullet Community Based Services
bullet Community Partnership For Protecting Children
bullet Livable Community for Successful Aging
bullet Decategorization Board
bullet Free Tax Preparation Services
bullet General Assistance
bullet Income Maintenance
bullet Juvenile Justice Youth Development
bullet Rural Housing Rehab

Click to see Johnson County Quick Reference to Health and Human Services Adobe Document

Social Service Banner
Tax Prep Free Tax Preparation Services
Johnson County Earned Income Tax Credit Outreach Campaign

“You Earned It! Now Claim It!”
Bullet  Frequently Asked Questions
Johnson County is pleased to partner with the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business, Johnson County AARP, Iowa City Community School District, Iowa City Housing Authority, Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County, Johnson County Council of Governments, United Way of Johnson County and the Iowa City Public Library to bring FREE tax preparation services to working people in community sites throughout Johnson County.

Sponsored By:

Johnson County Logo    Veridian Credit Union Logo    Tippe College of Businees Logo

UICCU Logo    United Way Logo    Iowa City Logo Iowa City Public Library Logo

The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program trains University of Iowa students and AARP volunteers to provide FREE Income Tax Preparation Services to qualifying workers.

Download these documents for more information about the site schedules and materials to bring to the sites:
Information Flyer - English Adobe Document
Aviador de Información - Español Adobe Document
Intake Form Adobe Document

Tax Preparation Sites
There are six locations throughout Johnson County that provide FREE Tax Preparation Services. Please see below for site locations and schedules.
bullet Iowa City Public Library
SPANISH TRANSLATORS AVAILABLE

TRADUCTORES ESPAÑOLES DISPONIBLES 		123 S. Linn Street
DOWNTOWN Iowa City
No appointment necessary.

SCHEDULE: Sunday afternoons from 1 to 4 pm; Wednesday evenings from 5:45 to 8:45 pm and two Monday sessions from 5:30 to 8:45.
Sunday
1:00 to 4:00 pm		 Wednesday
5:45 to 8:45 pm		 Monday
5:30 to 8:45 pm
February 1 February 4 April 6
February 8 February 11 April 13
February 15 February 18
February 22 February 25
March 1 March 4
March 8 March 11
March 29 March 25
April 5 April 1
April 8
April 15

bullet Penn Elementary School
SPANISH TRANSLATORS AVAILABLE

TRADUCTORES ESPAÑOLES DISPONIBLES 		230 N Dubuque Street
North Liberty
No appointment necessary.

SCHEDULE: Mondays evenings from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
Monday evenings
March 9
March 23
March 30
April 6
bullet Lucas Elementary School
SPANISH TRANSLATORS AVAILABLE

TRADUCTORES ESPAÑOLES DISPONIBLES 		830 Southlawn Drive
EASTSIDE Iowa City
No appointment necessary.

SCHEDULE: Sunday afternoons from 1:00 to 4:00 pm.
Sunday afternoons
February 15
February 22
March 1
March 8
bullet Grant Wood Elementary
SPANISH TRANSLATORS AVAILABLE

TRADUCTORES ESPAÑOLES DISPONIBLES 		1930 Lakeside Drive
SOUTHEAST Iowa City
No appointment required.

SCHEDULE: Wednesdays from 5:45 to 8:45 p.m.
Wednesday afternoons
March 4
March 11
March 25
April 1
bullet Northwest Junior High School
SPANISH TRANSLATORS AVAILABLE

TRADUCTORES ESPAÑOLES DISPONIBLES 		1507 8st Street
Coralville
No appointment required.

SCHEDULE: Monday evenings from 6:00 to 9:00 pm.
Monday evenings
February 9
February 16
February 23
March 2
bullet Iowa City/Johnson County Senior Center 28 South Linn Street
DOWNTOWN Iowa City
Appointment required.
Call for appointments starting Thursday, January 15th @ 356-5220.

SCHECDULE: Every Tuesday and Thursday from 8:30am to 4:00pm beginning February 3rd and ending April 14th.

Frequently Asked Questions
Information excerpted and adapted from “Your Tax Credit Outreach Campaign: What you Need to Know” (2008) from the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. On the Internet at www.cbpp.org/eic2009.

Who is eligible for VITA tax preparation services?
This service is available for free to people who earned less than $42,000 in 2008.

What do I need to bring to the Tax Preparation Site?
1. Completed Intake Form. CLICK HERE FOR THE ENGLISH VERSION OF THE FORM Adobe Document or CLICK HERE FOR THE SPANISH VERSION OF THE FORM Adobe Document. (Don’t worry if you forget this, you can complete it at the Preparation Site.
2. Proof of your identification (a driver’s license or other photo ID).
3. Social Security or ITIN cards for you, your spouse, and your dependents, or a verification letter issued by the social Security Administration.
4. Birth dates for you, spouse and dependents on tax return.
5. Current year’s tax package if you received one.
6. Wage and earning statement(s) Form W-2, W-2G, 1099-R, from all employers, in all states.
7. Interest and dividend statements from banks (Forms 1099).
8. Copy of last year’s Federal and State returns if filed.
9. Total paid for daycare provider and the day care provider’s tax ID number (the provider’s SSN or provider’s business Employer ID number).
10. Documentation of amount of real estate taxes paid, if any.
11. To file taxes electronically on a married filing joint tax return, both spounses must be present to sign the required forms.
12. For direct deposit of your refund or to split your refund into more than one account, bring your financial institution names, account numbers and the 9-digig American Bankers Association (ABA) routing numbers. Contact your bank if you need assistance identifying the ABA numbers. (Note: if you have a checking account, you can bring a blank check instead).
Do I need an appointment?
You do not need an appointment for tax preparation services at Lucas, Penn, Northwest Jr. High, Grant Wood, or the Iowa City Public Library. You do need to make an appointment for services provided at the Senior Center. Call 356-5220 to make an appointment.

How much time will it take?
It will take between 20 to 30 minutes to complete your taxes. You may need to wait for an open tax preparation station. All of the sites will file tax returns electronically (using a computer).

Are translation services available?
Spanish translation is available at the Iowa City Public Library, Lucas Elementary, Northwest Junior High, Penn Elementary and Grant Wood Elementary sites.

Who can I call if I have any questions about the VITA tax preparation sites?
You can contact Amy Correia, the Johnson County Social Services Coordinator at (319) 339-6169, extension 318.

What is the Earned Income Credit?
The Earned Income Credit is a special tax benefit for working people who earn low or moderate incomes. It has several important purposes, including reducing tax burden and supplementing wages.

Workers who qualify for the EIC and file a federal tax return can get back some or all of the federal income tax that was taken out of their pay during the year. They may also get extra cash back from the IRS. Even workers whose earnings are too small to owe income tax can get the EIC.

How much could I get back?
Single or married people who worked full-time or part-time at some point in 2008 can qualify for the EIC, depending on their income.
• Workers who were reaising one child in their home and had income of less than $33,995 (or $36,995) for married workers) in 2008 can get an EIC of up to $2,917.
• Workers who were raising more than one child in their home and had income of less than $38,646 (or $41,646 for married workers) in 2008 can get an EIC of up to $4,824.
• Workers who were not raising children in their home, were between ages 25 & 64 on December 31, 2008, and had income below $12,880 (or $15,880 for married workers) can get an EIC up to $438.

[NOTE: Workers with investment income exceeding $2,950 in 2008 may not claim the EIC]

Who is a “qualifying child” for the purposes of the Earned Income Credit?
• Sons, daughters, stepchildren, grandchildren and adopted children
• Brothers, sisters, stepbrothers, or stepsisters – as well as descendants of such relatives
• Foster children who are placed with the worker by an authorized government or private placement agency

“Qualifying children” must live with the worker for more than half of the year. They must be under age 19, or under age 24 if they are full-time students. Children of any age who have total and permanent disabilities also may be qualifying children. Valid Social Security numbers are required for qualifying children born before December 31, 2008.

Can immigrant workers claim the Earned Income Credit?
Many immigrants who are legally authorized to work can qualify for the EIC, as long as they meet the other eligibility requirements.
Does the Earned Income Credit affect eligibility for other public benefits?
The Earned Income Credit does not count as income in determining eligibility for benefits like cash assistance (FIP), Medicaid, food stamps, SSI or public housing. The FIP program exempts EIC payments in the month received as well as in the following month. Funds remaining after the end of the second month are countable resources.

Can the Earned Income Credit help Workers with Disabilities?
To be eligible for the Earned Income Credit, individuals must have earned income. Benefits such as Social Security Disability Insurance, SSI, military disability pensions, and payments from individually-purchased disability insurance policies are not counted as earned income. Individuals who receive these types of benefits may qualify for the Earned Income Credit if they, or their spouse, also have earned income.