Free Tacos & Taxes Event Helps Families Ahead of IRS Deadline

With ongoing changes to the federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS), many families may be concerned about properly preparing and filing taxes on time (federal deadline to file 2024 taxes is Tuesday, April 15, 2025). To provide support, last Saturday the Office of Senator Caroline Menjivar, New Economics for Women (NEW), Golden State Opportunity, and Magnolia Public Schools hosted a free Tacos and Taxes event at Magnolia Science Academy 1 and 5 (18238 Sherman Way) in Reseda. Other supporters included Los Angeles City Councilmember, Nithya Raman, representing the fourth council district.

The effort aimed to help low-resource families with earnings up to $67,000 file a basic W-2 form. During the event, individuals received support from 30 La Vita volunteer tax preparers to ready and file their taxes. Participants also learned about the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Foster Youth Tax Credit (FYTC), which are available for low-to-moderate income working people and can help them reduce the amount of taxes owed or receive a refund. Families with children earning less than $32,000 a year could be eligible to receive up to $3,644.00.

In its second year, the event is one of several efforts raising awareness about the EITC. “I’m proud to have once again partnered with Golden State Opportunity and New Economics for Women to bring assistance to the community during tax season,” said Senator Caroline Menjivar. “This year we were in Reseda where Magnolia Science Academy 1 & 5 graciously agreed to host us! Assisting the constituents of Senate District 20 is important because we want to make sure they obtain all the tax credits they are eligible to receive. My district alone has over 97,060 tax filers who claim the CalEITC, which provides a cash-back tax credit totaling more than $27.3 million - putting needed money back into the pockets of tax filers in Burbank and the San Fernando Valley,” she added.

In addition to tax preparers, the event hosted a resource fair in collaboration with other nonprofit partners gathered on site ready to inform participants about free resources in their area. Attendees were given a fair passport and encouraged to visit each resource table to receive further information and have their passport stamped. Once the passport was completed, participants enjoyed delicious tacos.

“Each year, we bring new resources based on the needs and concerns of the community,” said Giovanni Garcia, Community Schools Coordinator at Magnolia Science Academy 5. “For example, many people in our community don’t know how to file taxes, so we try to make the process less intimidating and accessible by bringing experts to them within a familiar, school-setting, environment. Magnolia is proud to have convened the event and partnered with like-minded efforts that improve the livelihood of families,” he added.

Magnolia Public Schools (MPS) are tuition-free charter schools with campuses throughout Southern California focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM)-based teaching to ensure students are well-rounded and college-ready. MPS offers smaller class sizes, individualized attention from teachers, as well as safe campuses that foster ideal learning conditions for students. Magnolia graduates are 40% more likely to enroll in college, 54% more likely to earn a college degree, 22% (54% if they are female) more likely to graduate from a STEM field.