3 Brooklyn Sites Offer Free Tax Assistance For Low-Income New Yorkers

BED-STUY/DOWNTOWN/SUNSET PARK – Taxes are due Tuesday, April 17! The non-profit organization, Food Bank For New York City, has opened sites across the five boroughs to provide low-income New Yorkers with free, full-service tax preparation assistance.

Professional tax preparers staff the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites, assisting eligible New Yorkers in completing their tax returns and helping them receive their full tax credits and refunds.

Bilingual tax assistance is available at the sites for non-English speakers and staff will help immigrants without social security numbers obtain Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITIN) so they are able to file.

Who Is Eligible For Free Tax Preparation Assistance?
Individuals who earned $30,000 or less with no dependents
Families that earned $54,000 or less with dependents

All eligible participants who would like onsite assistance must schedule an appointment by calling the center at 646.981.6111 or going online to foodbanknyc.org.

Below is a Tax Preparation Document Checklist. Participants must bring these items with them to their appointments:

• A photo ID—a state ID or driver’s license, for participant and spouse, if filing jointly
• If filing a joint return, both parties must be present at the appointment
• Social Security cards (originals or copies) or ITIN (originals or copies) for participant and anyone being claimed on tax return; or a letter from the Social Security Administration
• W-2s for all jobs held in the tax year and all 1099 forms paid in cash or personal checks. Participants must know their total income and deductible expenses for the tax year
• A sample check or a bank statement displaying the account and routing numbers (if participant has a savings or checking account for direct deposit)
• Form 1098-T if tuition was paid for post-high school education
• Form 1095-A if health insurance was purchased through the marketplace and participant was eligible for the premium tax credit
• If participant was a victim of identity theft, he/she must bring the IP-PIN (Individual Protection- Personal Identification Number) assigned by the IRS
• If claiming childcare expenses, the amount paid and the childcare agency’s ID, or the name and Social Security Number of the childcare provider
• Any other tax-related information received

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites will be open through April 17. See below for the locations and hours of the three (3) sites in Brooklyn.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Sites In Brooklyn:

Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, 1360 Fulton Street, Bed-Stuy
Mondays – Thursdays 5pm to 9pm
Saturdays and Sundays, 10am to 5pm

Center for Family Life, 443 39th Street, Sunset Park
Mondays, 10am to 4pm
Tuesday – Thursdays, 12pm to 7pm
Saturdays, 9am to 4pm

Metro World Child, 356 Fulton Street, Second Floor, Downtown
Mondays – Thursdays, 10am to 7pm
Saturdays, 9am to 4pm

To learn more, visit www.foodbanknyc.org/taxhelp/.