NEKCA- Homestead Declaration & Free Tax Preparation Partnership

Northeast Kingdom Community Action (NEKCA) offers FREE tax preparation services through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program throughout Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans Counties.

The VITA program is an IRS-sponsored initiative that provides free, accurate tax preparation and filing services to eligible individuals and families. In addition to ensuring accurate returns, VITA helps residents claim valuable tax credits and refunds, including the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Child Tax Credit, Vermont property tax credits, and other benefits that can significantly improve a household's financial stability.

NEKCA is interested in partnering with your town to:

• Increase awareness of the importance of filing taxes and Homestead Declarations.
• Ensure residents have access to free, reliable tax preparation assistance.
• Help residents receive all available tax credits and refunds.
• Improve the accuracy of community income and poverty data that help support funding and resource allocation.

To make this effort successful, we are seeking collaboration from town offices in one or more of the following ways:

Serving as a document collection and drop-off site for tax preparation services.

• Hosting scheduled tax preparation appointments within the town office or another local community space.
• Identifying one or two local volunteers who are interested in assisting with the effort.

NEKCA would provide guidance and support throughout the process. Ideally, local volunteers would complete IRS VITA certification training with assistance from our team. Having trained volunteers within the community creates a sustainable local resource, increases trust and participation among residents, and improves service accessibility.