Free Income Tax Prep Available to Franklin, Grundy, Coffee, and Moore Residents
Beginning on Feb. 3, the IRS-certified BetterFi and Sewanee Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program will begin processing and filing qualifying residents’ income taxes for its 11th year in a row. This year the students and volunteers are working with the University of the South, financial nonprofit BetterFi, and the South Cumberland Community Fund-sponsored South Cumberland Plateau AmeriCorps Program.
Grundy residents will be able to sign up online to schedule appointments on Thursdays at BetterFi in Coalmont (9933 State Route 56) at <www.betterfi.co/vita>.
Other tax sessions will be offered at partner sites – filers should contact the site to sign up for an appointment time slot. The current schedule is as follows: Moore County Library (931) 759-7285, Monday, Feb. 3, 9 a.m. to noon; Coffee-Lannom Library (931) 455-2460, Monday, Feb. 10, 9 a.m. to noon and Saturday, March 22, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Manchester Library (931) 723-5143, Saturday, Feb. 15, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Monday, March 3, 9 a.m. to noon; Franklin County Senior Center (931) 967-9853, Monday, Feb. 24, 9 a.m. to noon and Monday, March 24, 9 a.m. to noon. A session will also be at the Sewanee Senior Center Thursday, Feb. 20, 4–7 p.m. but sign-ups must be done in person.
Any resident who makes less than $67,000 a year, is disabled, or is elderly qualifies for a free tax return.
Please note that unfortunately the volunteers will be unable to assist with 1099-Bs.
Each resident interested in filing must bring proof of identification (a photo ID), social security cards (if filing jointly with another person then bring both social security cards and both individuals must be present), wage and earning statements (W-2, 1099, etc.), dividend and interest statements (if this applies to the resident filing), birth dates of the resident(s) and dependent(s), and banking account and routing numbers for direct deposit (found on a blank check).
If a resident filing does not have a social security card, then he/she must bring an IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) assignment letter.
If your organization would like to host a tax session or if a filer cannot make any of the tax sessions, please email BetterFi at <hello@betterfi.co> and BetterFi will try to accommodate.