Free Tax Help

CONTACT:

Susan Tamanaha
Hawaii Alliance for Community-Based Economic Development (HACBED)
Family and Individual Self-Sufficiency Program
Phone: 808.381.0881

Free Tax Help at the Hawaii State Capitol

A free tax assistance site at the Hawaii State Capitol helps workers save money and claim valuable tax credits

HONOLULU – Tax season is here and the Hawaii Alliance for Community-Based Economic Development (HACBED) and its partner organizations are encouraging Hawaii’s workers to file their tax returns at free tax assistance sites across the state in order to save money and claim valuable tax credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) which can be worth up to $5,657 for qualified taxpayers this year.

In support of these efforts and to help generate awareness, Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland and Representative Della Au-Belatti have arranged with HACBED’s Family and Individual Self-Sufficiency Program to host a special tax clinic at the Hawaii State Capitol where taxpayers can file their tax returns for free and receive information about programs that may be of interest to them, including financial literacy classes and credit management.

The special clinic at the State Capitol will be held on Saturday, February 27th, between the hours of 9am–1pm. All tax returns will be prepared by IRS-certified volunteers who volunteer at other sites coordinated by HACBED’s Family and Individual Self-Sufficiency Program. “We want to encourage Hawaii ’s workers to use these free services which will save them money and help them claim important tax benefits such as the EITC…”

HACBED’s Family and Individual Self-Sufficiency Program started offering free tax assistance services to low-to-moderate workers at 4 permanent sites in 2005 when it was first established under Aloha United Way . Today, the Program recruits volunteers for and coordinates the efforts of over 45 sites and clinics State-wide which are sponsored by non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and businesses. Some of the Program’s partners include Alulike, Inc., Leeward Community College , Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii, the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, Honolulu Community Action Program, INGDirect, Goodwill Industries, and several credit unions in Kekaha, Hickam, and Maui . Last year alone, 169 volunteers helped low-to-moderate income workers claim over $3 million in tax refunds and over $1.7 million in EITC and Child Tax Credits and saved these taxpayers nearly $400,000 in tax preparation fees.

For more information about the special clinic at the Hawaii State Capitol and to make an appointment, taxpayers should call 808-393-4364. To get help locating other free tax assistance sites, taxpayers can call Aloha United Way ’s Helpline at 2-1-1. For a complete list of tax sites and more information about the EITC and other tax credits, taxpayers can visit the program’s website at http://www.hawaiitaxhelp.org.