The Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs reminds taxpayers that March 16 is Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Awareness Day.

The IRS’ VITA program, in operation for over 50 years, provides free, basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals:

— People who generally make $58,000 or less

— Persons with disabilities

— Limited English-speaking taxpayers

VITA services are not only free, they are also a reliable and trusted source for preparing tax returns with over a 90 percent accuracy rate. All VITA volunteers must take and pass tax law training that meets IRS standards. The IRS also requires a quality review check for every return prepared at a VITA site.

According to the IRS, millions of individuals are eligible for no-cost tax preparation services every year. To meet the need, each tax season tens of thousands of VITA volunteers make a difference in their communities by preparing millions of federal and state tax returns.

The average cost among large national tax preparers is close to $200 and there is evidence that some EITC filers pay $300 to $500. For lower income taxpayers who want assistance preparing and filing their tax returns, the free service available from VTIA represents significant cost savings.

Larger tax credits and refunds means more money for low-to-moderate-income families to pay bills or save for a rainy day and VITA saves taxpayers an average of nearly $300 in tax preparation fees, money that stays in the pockets of individuals and their families.

Click here to find a VITA site near you.

Text TAXCREDITSLA to 211-211 for more detailed information.