Union County helps hundreds with free tax preparation

UNION COUNTY, N.C. — In Union County, volunteers are helping low-income families get free tax help, and with less than a month left to file, more than 400 people have already filed their taxes for free thanks to the service.

Christopher and Illene Stover say for years they’ve filed their taxes for free through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, or VITA, in Union County.

They say the price of a tax professional was never affordable.

The Stovers say they save money and time.

“One thing that stuck out with me was that the turnaround time, you call them boom, and that means a lot to me in this time and age,” Christopher Stover said.

To qualify for the free tax help, you must have one of three things: a household income of $70,000 or less, a disability, or be a limited English speaker.

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“We have a number of volunteers so we can take more appointments,” said Dana Sharpe, tax preparer volunteer

Dana Sharpe started volunteering after she retired, and says she doesn’t come from a financial background. She says VITA trained and tested her, so she’s qualified to help others with their taxes.

Most of her clients are retirees and people with simple forms.

“We do limited self-employment type, so our Uber drivers, Lyft drivers, they can come in. We can do their tax returns, but the more complicated returns are out of scope for our type of work,” Sharpe said.

Sharpe says they offer services both in English and Spanish. They plan to close April 13th, two days before the tax deadline.

The Stovers, who say they were once on food stamps, believe this program has made a huge impact on their lives.

“To me, it means a lot to where we was not always at the financial status that we are now,” Christopher Stover said.

You don’t have to live in Union County receive to receive the free tax help, but to see if you qualify and to make an appointment, you can call 704-296-4312 or click this link.

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