Special to the
Opelika Observer
The Raymond J. Harbert College of Business at Auburn University and Impact America are pleased to announce that free tax preparation services for working families in Lee County are available at the Boykin Community Center in Auburn and Greater Peace Missionary Baptist Church in Opelika. Services are available to working families making up to $56,000/year. In partnership with ASK Telemarketing, interested individuals should visit ImpactAmerica.com or call 1-888-99-TAX-AL to schedule a free tax appointment. Tax services are provided by students from Auburn University.
The tax preparation service is aimed at assisting families eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The EITC is the federal government’s largest and most successful anti-poverty program for low-income, working families. However, each year, Lee County families lose hundreds of thousands of dollars to commercial tax preparers simply to access this benefit.
Kerry Inger, associate professor; Kimberly Key, professor and Mollie Mathis, assistant professor, all in the School of Accountancy, are coordinating the college’s participation in Impact America’s SaveFirst Initiative. Auburn has been involved in the SaveFirst Initiative for 13 years. Last year, more than 600 trained students from twenty-one campuses prepared tax returns for more than 10,000 families at 23 free tax sites. Their campus collaboration helped these working families secure more than $21 million in tax refunds, saving them more than $5 million in commercial tax preparation fees.
Alabama residents interested in scheduling a free tax preparation appointment should call 1-888-99-TAX-AL. For more information about free tax services, visit impactamerica.com/freetaxprep. Daytime, evening and Saturday hours for tax preparation are available at sites in Auburn and Opelika:
Auburn – Boykin Community Center (400 Boykin St. in Auburn)
Opelika – Greater Peace Missionary Baptist Church (650 Jeter Ave. in Opelika).