United Way of the Wine Country’s
FREE tax support has helped local families
get back $80M in tax refunds.
FREE 2022-2023 Tax Preparation
- FREE for households earning $70,000 or less
- FREE support provided by advanced certified tax preparers
- FREE in-person or drop-off tax preparation available, at select sites
- FREE ITIN assistance and support
- U.S. CITIZENSHIP NOT REQUIRED
Services NOT Available for:
- Combined household income greater than $70,000 (approx..)
- Married filing separate
- Self-employment income, if any of the following apply:
- Have employees
- Carry over inventory
- Expenses greater than $35,000
- Have a net loss for the year
- Have business use of home expenses
- Adoption of children
- Net Operating Loss [NOS] from prior years
- Farm or foreign income
- SEP, SIMPLE and other qualified plans
- Clergy income
- Bankruptcy
- PG&E Settlement money
CALL to Make a Free Tax Appointment:
(Once you have possession of all required tax documentation*)
- Sonoma: Dial 2-1-1 OR 800-325-9604
For all other counties, please call the phone numbers below. If your call goes to voicemail, please leave a message with your name and phone number.
- Mendocino/Lake: 707-467-3236 (North Coast Opportunities)
- Willits: 707-456-9418 (Nuestra Allianza de Willits)
- Humboldt & Del Norte: 707-443-9747 (Humboldt Senior Resource Center)
*Clients with incomplete paperwork at time of appointment cannot be filed.
Before scheduling an appoint please review our
Earn it! Keep it! $ave it! Free Tax Preparation Services Stakeholder Conduct and COVID-19 Policy
Possible Special Credits:
You must file taxes to qualify for State and Federal Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) and other valuable credits available to working families and individuals:
- Did you pay for childcare/ dependent care?
If so, bring information about the provider, including address, phone number, and EIN or Social Security number, if an individual - Do you own a home?
If so, bring proof of mortgage interest and property tax information - Do you own a car and use it for work?
If itemizing expenses instead of the standard deduction, bring proof of DMV tax expenses - Did you pay for education expenses, including tuition, fees, books, etc. for a student enrolled at an eligible educational institution?
If so, bring Form 1098-T along with a list of expenses and associated receipts.
Bring to Your Appointment:
- Original photo ID for taxpayer and spouse
- Social Security card or ITIN for each person on tax return – copies accepted
- Copy of previous year’s tax return (if you filed and if available)
- All tax forms including W-2, 1099-NEC, 1099-MISC, or records of cash earned for all jobs – see full list of tax forms below
- Checking and/or savings account information including routing numbers for direct deposit refunds
- Information about childcare provider(s) –including name, address, ID number, and phone number
- Records of charitable contributions – if you itemize, bring receipts for all cash and non-cash donations
- Clients with insufficient or missing paperwork at appointment may be turned away and asked to reschedule for when they have all paperwork.
List of Tax Forms
This list includes all possible tax forms. For your tax filing appointment, only bring the forms you receive for the 2022 tax year.
NOTE: Eligible filers may also receive FREE assistance filing taxes for Tax Years 2020 and 2021.To do so, filers must bring income documents for each year.
- W2 (salary income)
- 1099-NEC (wages and pay)
- 1099-MISC (wages and pay)
- 1098 (mortgage interest)
- SSA-1099 (social security)
- 1098-T (tuition statement; mailed to students OR found in student portal)
- 1099-INT (savings interest)
- 1099-G (unemployment benefits)
- 1099R (pension and annuity)
- 2022 unemployment documents
Volunteers Wanted
For the 2023 tax season, the majority of our volunteer activities will be conducted face-to-face at a tax site. Limited remote volunteer opportunities may also be available at some sites. All in-person volunteers will be required to wear a face mask, regardless of vaccination status. We will also continue using social distancing and sanitizing protocols at the tax sites. More information will be provided to volunteers upon registration and at pre-season orientation sessions held at each tax site prior to opening!
- Tax Preparer: Prepare income tax returns using IRS- issued TaxSlayer Pro Online software, communicate with clients regarding any tax documents that are missing, quality review the work of other volunteers (if experienced.) All tax returns prepared receive a quality review and is then e-filed only by your Site Coordinator; you simply help put tax information into TaxSlayer for the client! Help filers learn about ways to save and stretch their refunds, provide referrals to other services. Must be a U.S. citizen.
- Intake Coordinator (Greeter): Help check in clients upon arrival, help filers complete the required intake process paperwork, manage appointment schedules, answer general questions about our process and services. Must be a U.S. citizen.
- Interpreter (Spanish): Assist in translating languages for both volunteers and filers, as well as Site Coordinators. Does NOT have to be a U.S. citizen.
SKILLS REQUIRED: WE’LL PROVIDE ALL THE FREE TRAINING YOU NEED!
- Experience using computers (beyond email, comfortable with software, etc.)
- Time to commit a minimum of 3 hours per week from late-January through April (you can volunteer at multiple sites if you want to or in various volunteer roles as well)
- Strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills, in English or Spanish.
VITA is a meaningful, unique experience for the volunteers and filers. As a volunteer, you’ll:
- Build your resume by certifying as an IRS certified Tax Preparation volunteer, or Intake Coordinator, or Site Coordinator
- Empower our hard-working, low-to-moderate income earning neighbors to access important tax refunds at no cost while learning about other resources to help them thrive financially!
- Learn valuable, lifelong skills while making great friends and helping a local non-profit serve those who need it the most in the community!
If you have any questions while completing the Volunteer Registration, please feel free to email Anabel at anabel.pimentel@unitedwaywinecountry.org, or call her at United Way of the Wine Country between the hours of 9am-5pm, Monday through Friday, at 707-528-GIVE x 102.
