Our service is entirely free; we do not charge a single penny. Please do not feel obligated to pay or donate to us. VITA volunteers are not allowed to collect any form of payments (cash, check, gifts, etc.) from clients. If a volunteer tells you otherwise or demands a payment, please immediately alert the Site Manager on duty or
contact us.
No. We serve anyone who lived or worked in New York State for the tax year.
Except for the Chinatown location, you do not need to set an appointment. Just walk into one of our
locations. You must be present theentire time while an assigned volunteer is preparing your return. We do not offer any kind of drop-off services.
For the Chinatown site, please approach a CCBA representative in the same location to set an appointment.
Yes, we need this amount to see if you qualify for an additional amount this year (Recovery Rebate). If you do not know the exact amount, please call the IRS toll-free at 800-829-1040. You must have your SSN, filing status, and total number of exemptions from your 2009 return.
You will be asked to fill-in an
Intake Sheet. This is a questionnaire that helps determine your eligibility for various credits and deductions. The volunteer will ask you follow-up questions. The return will be prepared in front of you, and you will be able to ask any questions. After the return is finished a Site Manager will review it for quality. You will receive all your documents back with further instructions where to mail the return, how to make a payment or how to claim a refund. We might ask you to fill out a short survey which helps us determine how well we did. The entire process can take up to an hour, depending on how complex your case is.
We do not keep copies of your return or of any forms that you show to us. Our volunteers have also been trained on how important your confidentiality is.
No, we prepare all forms by hand on paper. We do not offer any electronic filing services.
Baruch VITA prepares basic federal and New York state personal income tax returns. For more details refer to the
VITA scope section.
No, we have a supply of all necessary paper returns that we use.
We do not have a fixed dollar amount. While VITA is targeted to low-income residents who cannot afford paid preparers, volunteers can also help those better-off. The higher the income, however, the more complex the return tends to be. Such returns can easily fall outside our
scope.
No, you are dual status alien and you are subject to very complex and specialized tax rules asdiscussed in IRS
Publication 519. Please see a paid preparer who specializes in international tax.
We will not be able to help you until you receive and bring all the needed documents to us. All Forms W-2 and 1099 should be sent to you by the end of January. Please contact your employer or institution; VITA cannot help you to obtain these forms. Once you gather all necessary documents, please visit us.
Please contact your employer and visit when you receive a corrected Form W-2C.
You can check the status of your refund online on the
IRS and the
New York State websites.
We strive to maintain the quality of our program by improving volunteer training and testing. All volunteers are certified by the IRS; however, mistakes do happen. Sometimes volunteers are to blame, sometimes we are not provided with full information, sometimes we are provided with incorrect information. Our sites close after the April 15 deadline and we do not offer any post-season assistance. If you received a notice before this date, please stop by one of our sites. We will discuss your situations and suggest further action. VITA volunteers are protected by the
Volunteer Protection Act of 1997, which provides immunity from tort claims against volunteers of nonprofit organizations. Please understand that you are using our services at your own risk. Please see the
disclaimers.
Baruch VITA volunteers are not trained to handle notices. Please seek advice from a paid preparer.
Sorry, but there is nothing we can do for you. To assure client privacy, we do not keep any copies of any returns, forms, schedules, worksheets, etc. All paperwork is returned to you. IRS can give you a transcript of your return. For more information please see the
IRS website.
Feel free to
contact us and we will get back to you.
