Free tax help available in Auburn and Rocklin through United Way

Auburn and Rocklin residents are eligible for free help preparing taxes and claiming credits this year, saving an average of $200 in preparer fees and earning up to $6,500 in credits. Participating households must have earned $60,000 or less in 2019. United Way California Capital Region's Free Tax Prep program will provide help at Sierra College, as well as Placer County Department of Health and Human Services' offices in Auburn and Rocklin. The program began taking appointments on Tuesday. For more information, visit YourFreeTaxPrep.org or call toll-free 800-500-4931. "More than a third of households in the Sacramento region are a paycheck away from homelessness," said Stephanie Bray, president and CEO, United Way California Capital Region. "United Way's Free Tax Prep program not only saves them preparer fees, it puts money back in their pockets through tax credits that many people don't even know they are eligible for. For some families, receiving $6,500 in tax credits can mean the difference between paying rent and living on the streets. For others, it seeds a child's college savings account, buys a car to take children to school or provides for a future emergency." United Way's Free Tax Prep program kicks off on Feb. 1 with IRS-certified volunteers providing free tax return preparation with electronic filing and helping participants claim the maximum tax credits for which they are eligible, including the federal and state Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC and Cal EITC), Child Tax Credit, American Opportunity Education Credit, and the new Young Child Tax Credit. Age qualification for Cal Earned Income Tax Credits expanded last year to include ages 18 to 24 and working adults ages 65 and up, giving more taxpayers the opportunity to earn credits, including those who are self-employed. Many Cal Earned Income Tax Credits-eligible households are not legally required to file taxes due to low income. However, if they file, they can claim state and federal credits. Regardless of who prepares their taxes, those who claim Earned Income Tax Credits, Cal Earned Income Tax Credits or Child Tax Credit should plan for their refund to be delayed until the end of February, due to federal law. More than $11 million in refunds were claimed across the region in 2019 through United Way's program, up more than $1 million from the previous year. More than 9,000 households received free help from nearly 500 volunteers in 2019, according to United Way California Capital Region, saving a total of $1.8 million in tax preparation fees. For more information about United Way, visit YourLocalUnitedWay.org.