By 
Tax season is stressful for everyone – but this year, Detroit residents have extra help. A coalition of community partners, called Get The Tax Facts, is providing volunteer help and free expert tax preparation to ensure that families in the region access every federal tax benefit available to them.
Get The Tax Facts aims to assist families most likely to miss out on claiming tax credits: first-time parents, low-income families (including those who may not have filed taxes previously due to lack of income), families where primary caregivers are not the biological parents, and families with limited English proficiency or social services connections.
Much of the outreach effort includes education around available tax credits, especially the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credits. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a tax credit for low-income individuals and families, meant to provide a financial boost to workers earning low wages. The Child Tax Credit is a tax credit for families with dependent children under age 18, designed to help offset the cost of raising children and reduce tax burdens on families. In 2022, Get The Tax Facts helped over 16,000 Detroit residents claim more than $24 million in tax refunds.
Offering free tax preparation in a major city takes hundreds of staff and volunteers. The coalition that makes up Get The Tax Facts includes WKKF grantees United Way for Southeastern Michigan and Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency, along with the Accounting Aid Society, University of Michigan’s Poverty Solutions, and Community Development Advocates of Detroit, with funding and support from the Skillman, Kresge and W.K. Kellogg Foundations and the Ballmer Group.
Detroit residents can schedule their free tax preparation appointment online.
Comments