Samaritan House Offering Free Tax Prep for County's Low-Income Residents

[Editor's Note: The following information was received by Patch from Samaritan House, and is reprinted here.]

Beginning Monday, Jan. 27, Samaritan House will partner with United Way of the Bay Area by offering free tax preparation services for low-income, San Mateo County residents. 

This is the third year that the agency will host Volunteer Income Tax Assistant (VITA) volunteers - who are certified by the IRS - as they serve individuals by appointment throughout the tax season. The program runs Jan. 27-April 4, and is open to households with a 2013 income of $52,000 or less.

“We are excited to continue to offer this service to the community,” says Saul Gonzalez, Financial Empowerment Specialist at Samaritan House, noting that last year the agency’s VITA volunteers helped prepare 242 tax returns and returned over $449,000 in total refunds to local residents. 

“This program provides free tax preparation to individuals and families who may not be able to afford a tax preparer, and helps connect low-income earners with the Earned Income Tax Credit. This is a valuable resource for helping families make ends meet,” Gonzalez added.

Tax preparation appointments are available by appointment Monday, Wednesday, & Friday from 10 am-4 pm at Samaritan House, 4031 Pacific Blvd, San Mateo. For more information call 650-523-0804 or go to www.samaritanhousesanmateo.org.