HRDC launches free tax prep program for 10th consecutive year
HRDC’s annual participation with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program begins once again on February 1st. This money-saving initiative provides free tax preparation for customers with incomes below $57,000. In many cases HRDC’s team of IRS-certified tax preparers can find unanticipated savings for individuals and families making this service to the community a win-win.
After last year’s tax preparation season was met with the need to keep community interaction to a minimum due to the pandemic, Dean Williamson, HRDC’s Economic Development Director, spent time evaluating the program’s processes with an eye on evolving the program to meet today’s environment.
“The new procedures we deployed on the fly with Covid last year made us realize we really didn’t have the most efficient systems in place – for our customers or for us,” he said. “With that in mind, we re-tooled our workflow to simplify everything. This year our customers will be able to walk into one of our locations to drop off their tax information on a designated day of the week, and then come back on another day to sign their tax forms as well as to file them.”<\n\t>Williamson explained these new walk-in hours of service are designed to provide more flexibility and convenience for customers while reducing administrative time previously spent on managing appointments and the often-shifting status of customers’ tax forms.
While this streamlined service is expected to improve the tax filing experience from start to finish for HRDC’s customers, Williamson is also looking forward to the opportunity to offer further coaching to customers should they wish to explore additional financial strategies.
“We have the ability to look at a household’s cashflow and expenditures and develop strategies that make the most of HRDC’s family of services. The daily struggle many face in our community just trying to put food on the table or make rent can be overwhelming, especially given our continued affordable housing crisis and higher-than-average cost of living. We show people how to change up the way they’re used doing things which can result in a noticeable reduction in grocery and transportation costs, and often even a reduction in energy costs and more.”
Williamson has seen this extra focus go a long way in paying down debt, giving families the ability to continue living in or near Bozeman, and reducing stress in the home.
In recent years, the quality of life for so many local residents has decreased as costs have increased. It is difficult for people on fixed incomes to make ends meet. Young adults and couples feel priced out of the housing market. The very workers that are counted on to keep the community up and running are often forced into excessive commute times or choose to relocate to another more affordable town altogether. Whether it’s helping people afford their rent, or car maintenance costs, or medications, HRDC offers many tools that stretch budgets by offsetting household costs in another manner.
Customers can learn more at thehrdc.org/financial-development and community members who wish to join HRDC in building a stronger community can get involved in many ways. Information about volunteer opportunities and donation programs is available through the website. •
