Click right here to see a list of the tax sites, their hours of operation and contact info  BUT it's a good idea to call 2-1-1 to see which sites are accepting walk-ins on Tax Filing Deadline Day - April 15.

Volunteers are ready to help lower-income workers, older adults and disabled citizens prepare their 2009 tax returns, in 2010.  The sites are run by a partnership that includes the Omaha Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Coalition, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), Family Housing Advisory Services, United Way and many great volunteers!

The Omaha Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Coalition promotes the claiming of tax credits through quality volunteer tax return preparation with a goal of providing educational tools and community resources for family asset development. Volunteers have been trained and certified in tax law, tax preparation software and customer service. This year, there are new opportunities for families to take advantage of at the free tax preparation sites:

• 12 VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) sites around the metro area with expanded service hours and a dozen mobile clinics at other community agencies and businesses.

• Free bank accounts for those who would like to take advantage of direct deposit and faster refunds.

• Free tax preparation and quality services to claim important tax credits for working families like EITC, Child Tax Credit, Dependent Care Credits, the Housing Credits and the Make Work Pay Credit

• Information and advice to help families take full advantage of the new tax benefits in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

United Way of the Midlands continues to offer the 2-1-1 call center for families looking for locations and service hours of free tax prep sites near their homes.  2-1-1 is available 24 hours a day to most Nebraskans (and to the people of 8 counties in southwest Iowa too). 

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) provides a tax credit of Social Security and Medicare taxes for low-wage workers. The amount for which people are eligible varies by household income and family size.  This is a once a year opportunity for working families to claim what they’ve worked so hard to earn.