Punxsutawney Phil has predicted an early spring this year. I don’t know about trusting groundhogs with meteorology, but Phil was right about one omen of spring. Like it or not, tax season is here, and April 15 is just around the corner. 

The River Center, a family and community resource center in Peterborough, offers free tax prep for those who qualify. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program is available to eligible individuals and households with incomes of up to around $64,000. IRS-certified volunteers help clients maximize refunds and take advantage of credits.

Two River Center staff members and 21 volunteers power this fantastic program. A few weeks into the 2024 program, calls have doubled compared with last year at this time. On the first Saturday for tax appointments, volunteers worked with 17 clients, who together saved an estimated $4,000 in professional tax preparation fees. 

The River Center provides this service as part of its Money Matters programming, which helps individuals and families make sense of their finances. As of Feb. 10, nearly 70 returns had been prepared for free, for a total savings of close to $20,000. Last year, the River Center’s VITA program filed just shy of 300 returns for community members. 

How to take advantage of the program

The tax clinic is running through April 15 on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Staff and volunteers make sure the experience is “upbeat and compassionate,” says Margaret Nelson, executive director of The River Center. 

To make an appointment, you can call The River Center at 603-924-6800, Ext. 30. VITA program scheduler Lisa Curran will ask a handful of IRS-required questions to confirm eligibility, and a few more questions to match your situation with the right volunteer tax-preparer. 

She’ll also describe the program’s three options: traditional, DIY and valet. Once you’ve decided which option fits best, Lisa will let you know when to arrive and what to bring to the appointment.  

Frequently asked questions

The River Center’s staff and volunteers can answer a variety of tax season questions. Here are some they hear regularly. 

Is all this paperwork necessary? – It is. To ensure accurate returns, the IRS requires taxpayers who go to any VITA site to fill out intake forms and provide certain forms of ID to verify identity. Failure to meet the requirements could jeopardize The River Center’s ability to offer this valuable program to the community.

Am I having enough money withheld from my paycheck? – If you are getting a big refund, chances are you may be having too much withheld. If you owe money, you may not have enough withheld. An easy way to calculate this is going forward is by using the tax-withholding calculator on irs.gov. You’ll need pay stubs from all of your jobs, details about any other income and last year’s tax return.

Is this service really free? – Yes! The program is designed to let you keep more of your hard-earned money. The VITA program has been providing free tax support for more than 50 years. VITA sites are operated by IRS partners, including The River Center, and funded by grants.

Few of us relish tax time. But friendly volunteer tax-preparers at the River Center are making tax prep easier for hundreds of individuals and families in our region – all for free. Isn’t the outlook for the season a little brighter already?

Johanna Arnone serves on the board of trustees of The River Center Family and Community Resource Center in Peterborough.