TRP Help Assist 1,500 File their Taxes
Tax season came to an end today (April 15th ) and here at TRP we have already begun to look our results in order to get a better grasp on the impact our approach to tax preparation has had in our communities. Our efforts purposely targeted families to complete their income taxes with us, families that otherwise could have been lured to get a “loan” on their returns or a rapid check against their return. As most income tax filing agencies employ tactics that although seem attractive to those who really need their reimbursements quicker than the IRS can issue, deprive families of a bigger reimbursement, depleting it with service charges, hidden charges, built-in miscalculations within their tax software or just simply bad business practices.
Fortunately, The Resurrection Project, in collaboration with Instituto Del Progreso Latino and in partnership with the Center for Economic Progress, was able to assist over 1,000 families in maximizing their income tax refunds. The project started by recruiting volunteers for training sessions provided by the Center of Economic Progress, in order to get tested and receive certification by IRS. By January 26 we counted with 60 volunteers and we were able to kick off tax season right and assist low-income families get the most out of their tax reimbursements.
Serving the areas of Back of the Yards and Pilsen, we were not only able to put more money into working families’ pockets, but also counsel them on legalities such as the intricacies of having an ITIN. And at a rate of approximately 70 filings per session, we can start considering our approach to tax preparation a positive success.
Right now we are tabulating our final numbers, but to would like to give you an idea on our impact. Between Pilsen and Back of the Yards as of March 28 we had 1594 processed returns (1218 from Pilsen, 376 from Back of the Yards), 413 attendees at tax orientation meetings and 62 volunteers between both locations, making sure the processes ran as smooth as possible.
The Resurrection Project has always been well aware of the power of the Hispanic consumer and its impact in the economy as we are the fastest growing sector of our population. TRP also knows how vulnerable our communities can be to such predatory agencies which are just looking to make more than a nominal fee for financial services masqueraded as help. Armed with such knowledge and with a strong commitment to our communities we will continue establishing partnerships that will in turn allow us to offer fair practices/services available to our hardworking families in Pilsen and beyond.