This year’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program was a huge success for people in the community, connecting filers to $28.6 million in income-tax refunds through free tax-preparation services.
This tax season, VITA saw tremendous gains compared to 2022, with significant increases in the number of individuals filing their taxes with VITA. Of course, VITA is a completely free tax-preparation service for households earning up to $55,000 per year. There were 11 convenient locations throughout San Antonio and one location in Fredericksburg.
VITA filers received $28.6 million in income tax refunds this year, down from last year. The decrease was largely due to the expiration of pandemic-related relief programs, the end of the expanded Child Tax Credit and other factors.
This year we saw:
- 21,517 people file their taxes with VITA, a 19% increase from 2022.
- Over $4 million in tax-preparation fees saved by filers using VITA, an increase over the $3.9 million VITA users saved in 2022.
“I volunteer with VITA because no matter the scenario, I am always helping the individual,” said a VITA tax preparer who has volunteered during tax season for the past seven years. “Whether they owe, whether they are getting a refund, it is 100% helpful no matter what.”
While tax season is over, free VITA services are available year-round at the Willie C. Velasquez Center, St. Philip’s College and the Guadalupe Community Center.
For more information on VITA, please visit vitasa.org.
