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Community Corner

Free Tax Prep Available Now through April, In-Person or Online

Looking for free tax help you can trust? Town of Windsor Locks serves as Volunteer Income Tax Assistance site.

At VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) sites throughout Greater Hartford and Windham Counties, IRS-certified volunteers work one-on-one with taxpayers to prepare and electronically file state and federal income tax forms at no charge. Volunteers ensure that filers claim their proper tax credits and refunds. Refunds are available in seven to 10 days.

By appointment, free, in-person help is available to individuals and families with household incomes up to $54,000 at VITA sites in Hartford, Eneld, Manchester, New Britain, Vernon, West Hartford, Windsor Locks, and the Windham region. The Town of Windsor Locks offices on Church Street serve as a VITA site and are open Wednesdays and Thursdays 5:00-8:00 pm. To schedule an appointment, dial 2-1-1 and press ‘3’ or visit www.211ct.org.

Individuals and families with household incomes up to $62,000 in 2015 can file for free on their own online at any time using MyFreeTaxes.com. Online assistance is available.

Find out what's happening in Windsor Locks-East Windsorfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Additionally, walk-in tax filers are welcome during Dollars & Sense Day on February 27, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Hartford Public Library Downtown, 500 Main Street, Hartford. Tax filers will have the opportunity to learn about other financial resources available in the area and the chance to receive one of four $50 gift cards.

At the Hartford Public Library free tax site – and other sites in Hartford and Windham Counties – VITA and MyFreeTaxes is offered by The Village for Families & Children and United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut to help working families become financially secure. Free tax preparation is one way for hard-working families to keep more money in their wallets.

Find out what's happening in Windsor Locks-East Windsorfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Last tax season, through VITA and MyFreeTaxes, nearly 11,000 working individuals and families in central and northeastern Connecticut received $28.4 million in federal tax refunds and credits – money coming right back into our community.

For more information, click here.

The 2016 VITA/MyFreeTaxes program partners are: Community Accounting Services; Human Resources Agency of New Britain; Internal Revenue Service; The Village for Families & Children; and United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut.

The 2016 VITA/MyFreeTaxes program is generously supported by: Comcast Corporation; Eastern Connecticut State University Center for Community Engagement; Farmington Valley Community Foundation; Hartford Foundation for Public Giving; Liberty Bank (in Windham County); MassMutual; New Alliance Foundation, Inc.; North Hartford Promise Zone; Santander Bank; and Webster Bank.

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