ASHLAND, Va. -- Following the big game Sunday night, football season is officially in the rearview mirror, and another type of season is in full swing: tax filing season.
Two Ashland churches have partnered to run a free tax preparation assistance program for those living in their area and beyond.
Empowering Neighbors — a partnership between Shiloh Baptist Church and First Baptist Church in Ashland— operates one of 11 tax assistance sites through a program and grant from the United Way of Greater Richmond.
Families and individuals who make less than $64,000 per year are eligible to work with trained and certified tax preparation volunteers, who help filers send in their returns and get the largest possible refund.
“People don’t understand taxes, they’re intimidated by them," Howard Johnson, a board member for Empowering Neighbors, said.
"We came up with the tagline of building bigger front porches," said Tom Lynch with Empowering Neighbors.
Lynch said the idea came about when their group realized the median income in Ashland fell within the program's eligibility, so the service fits their mission perfectly.
This is the second tax season Empowering Neighbors has been a partner in the tax preparation services, and last year their site helped 69 filers access $95,000 in refunds — both numbers they expect to eclipse this year.
Johnson said a big piece of the picture is screening filers on the phone and ensuring they have the correct documents.
"We’ve made it a little more robust in our appointment process where we essentially do a pre-interview on the phone so we can clearly understand what documents the persons will need," he said, adding that many filers they work with qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit and never claimed it. “Those are substantial. You’re talking anywhere from $2,000 to $7,000 for families.”
A tax document might just be ink on a page, but the stories behind those numbers are neighbors, which is why Johnson and Lynch said their group tunes into the needs they hear about see themselves during their sessions.
“We’re creating relationships through this immediate service, but also, while they’re here, we can help discern other needs that might not be as evident," Johnson said.
“I think the people part is the foundation of it all for Empowering Neighbors. That’s why we went with the imagery of a bigger front porch. . . because it’s something we sit on together, and so often, our communities seem divided for a multitude of reasons," Lynch said.
The Empowering Neighbors tax preparation services take place at Shiloh Baptist Church (106 South James Street in Ashland) on Thursdays from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Those who are interested can sign up and review the documents they'll need here.
The program runs through April 11, and language interpretation is available.
Although they're based in Ashland, the program is open to anyone who qualifies, regardless of where they live.
You can learn more about the ten other United Way of Greater Richmond and Petersburg free tax prep locations here.
The income tax filing deadline is April 15.
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