IRS-certified tax preparer Paul Mullin, standing, offers assistance last year at the University of Maine at Farmington while Western Maine CA$H Coalition volunteers help clients with filing their taxes for free. The service will be offered virtually this year due to the pandemic. Photo Courtesy of the United Way of the Tri-Valley Area
FARMINGTON — The United Way of the Tri-Valley Area and the Western Maine CA$H Coalition have adapted their annual, free tax preparation services to a contactless process. The program is usually available to clients in-person at the University of Maine at Farmington campus, but this year it will take place online and over the phone in response to the pandemic.
“We opted to do our very best to keep our volunteers and our tax filers safe by doing it all virtually,” United Way Community Resource Coordinator Nichole Ernest said in a phone interview.
By creating an account with GetYourRefund.org, people can take pictures of their tax documents and upload them to the website’s secure cloud. One of the Coalition’s 11 volunteer tax preparers will then have access to the client’s account and begin the filing process.
“Much of the backend process is very much the same except for sitting there while they do your taxes for you,” Ernest said.
The filing process will take about a week while a volunteer works around their own work schedule to prepare everything to review with the client over the phone. After this preliminary review, a lead tax preparer then double checks the filing, reviews it once more with the client and explains any potential refund or payment to the IRS. The client then submits an electronic signature to officially file their taxes.
The United Way office in Farmington is also offering assistance for those who may not have the resources to file virtually.
“We do understand that there are folks in our community who do not have the technology or technology skills to upload their own stuff to us,” Ernest said.
In this case, clients can schedule scan and go appointments during which Ernest or one of her staff members will assist with uploading documents onto the GetYourRefund cloud for tax preparers. The rest of the virtual filing process will continue by providing clients with reviews within a week.
To be eligible for the free filing process, a client or their household must make $56,000 or less. However, Ernest said that people should still reach out if their income is a little higher as there may be other conditions that qualify them for the service.
Janet Smith from New Ventures Maine, left, reviews tax documents with a filer at the University of Maine at Farmington last year. The Western Maine CA$H Coalition offers free tax filing services annually to those who make $56,000 or less. Photo Courtesy of the United Way of the Tri-Valley Area
Ernest also stressed that for those who are retired, on disability or a fixed income and have no taxable income should still contact the United Way and schedule an appointment to file.
“They should still file for a return because they’re eligible for the state of Maine credits,” Ernest said. “So they don’t file a federal return, but if they file a state-only return they can receive the property tax fairness credit and the sales use tax credit which is a formula roughly based on the income that you have and your rent or property tax expenses that you have.”
Ernest said that a lot of these credits are automatically applied during the filing process but volunteers make sure to review them with clients.
“A part of our goal is to educate people as much as we can,” Ernest said. “We don’t like to just do it and not explain it, so we do make a point to explain what it is and why they’re receiving it.”
When tax preparer volunteers work with clients they also review other resources available to them through the Western Maine CA$H Coalition.
“There are a lot of really awesome resources for folks,” Ernest said. “One of the most common ones we talk about is the rainy day savings account that’s offered by New Ventures Maine. It’s a grant-funded savings program where they match your savings up to $300 and that fund is specifically used for emergencies.”
Most of the clients who are eligible for free tax preparation services are also eligible for the Coalition’s other resources such as the New Ventures Maine savings account or general financial guidance.
To schedule a scan and go appointment at the United Way office at 218 Fairbanks Road in Farmington, call 778-7954. To begin the virtual filing process, visit www.uwtva.org or email freetaxprepservice@gmail.com to receive information and links to upload tax documents.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
