CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The tax filing season kicked off Monday, Jan. 24. Filing your return can be costly, but there are some organizations in the Charlotte area ready to help.
One of those organizations is Community Link in Uptown Charlotte.
“In 2005, I learned that there were $6 million of unclaimed earned income tax credit in the city of Charlotte,” Community Link president and CEO Floyd Davis said.
Davis said he was determined to change that. That’s when the organization launched a program to help more families file and get the most of their returns.
It operates under the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, also known as VITA.
“We do this because we want people to keep their hard-earned money and because they need it," he said.
Community Link has about 70 volunteers on board. They are trained and certified by the IRS. Families don’t pay a penny but must meet an income requirement to get the assistance.
“Today the cost of housing is increasing significantly so it is even more important that we help them save,” Davis said.
WCNC Charlotte is always asking "where's the money?" If you need help, reach out to the Defenders team by emailing money@wcnc.com.
The organization is waiting for the final green light by the IRS and expects to start taking appointments within the next few days.
Last year, Community Link helped prepare taxes for over 600 people resulting in about $1 million in tax refunds.
They’re not the only ones helping folks file their taxes, though.
“We have been doing this for 11 years,” Common Heart site director Bruce Gorrell said.
Common Heart is in Indian Trail and partners with Community Link. It is taking its first appointments starting Tuesday but also seeing people on Thursday and Saturday.
Now, it’s important to have all of your IRS documents with you, like W2s, 1099s, stimulus, and child tax credit documents to name a few.
“This year, it will be even better because of the child credits and other credits that are in there," Gorrell said. "I think people will be pleasantly surprised when they get their taxes done."
You must be fully vaccinated in order to make an appointment with Common Heart.
The last day to file your taxes this year is April 18.
Contact Jesse Pierre at jpierrepet@wcnc.com or follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.