First-ever VITA Super Sunday to aid working families and individuals with FREE tax preparation
-Refunds from tax credits to aid San Antonio families and boost local economy-

Thousands of local individuals and families are expected to set aside their regular Sunday afternoon routines to take care of their income tax preparation at Sunday’s first-ever Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Super Sunday event at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.

The event, scheduled for Sunday, January 31 from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., aims to complete 1,000 tax returns in one day. VITA Super Sunday will serve a large crowd including children and the elderly as more residents than ever before gather in one place to meet with VITA volunteers who are specially trained to help local individuals and families prepare their tax returns and claim valuable tax credits—FREE of charge.

The Alamo City Coalition for Economic Self-Sufficiency (ACCESS) is responsible for coordinating this year's VITA Super Sunday, helping those individuals and families earning up to $55,000 get a jump on the April 15 deadline. The $55,000 income level reflects an increase of $10,000 from the previous year to make more residents eligible to participate in VITA.

"Through past efforts, VITA saved San Antonio taxpayers an estimated $6.3 million in tax preparation fees in 2009," said City Manager Sheryl Sculley at a recent announcement for VITA Super Sunday. "The one-day VITA Super Sunday event will help increase that savings and bring more tax refunds to our families," she added.

Because more residents are eligible for the VITA program, ACCESS hopes that more taxpayers will take full advantage of all tax credits for which they are eligible, including the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).The EITC is one of the largest benefits available for working families, but it is also one of the most overlooked tax credits. Last year, VITA brought in more than $70.5 million in refunds to San Antonio clients, including more than $27.2 million in EITC; however, an estimated 23 percent of households in San Antonio were eligible for EITC last year and did not claim it, leaving $86 million in Washington, D.C.

All citizens are encouraged to ride the VIA bus system to the Convention Center. Free bus rides will be offered to and from the event. Riders need only to tell the Operator they are going to the VITA event. The buses are running on the Sunday service. For bus route and schedule information, call 362-2020 or visit www.viainfo.net

Free parking will be provided at the Institute of Texan Cultures lot and Federal Building employee parking lot located on the 600/700 blocks of E. Durango. West bound travelers on Durango from IH 37 can access parking from the driveway entrance to the Institute of Texan Cultures and east bound travelers on Durango from S. Alamo can access the employee parking lots directly across the street from the Federal Building.

Once on-site, VITA Super Sunday attendees can take advantage of free tax services, in addition to visiting a fair with representatives from 30 providers of other social and financial services including application assistance for CHIP, Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. CPS Energy, SAWS and the San Antonio Food Bank will participate and attendees can get information on job placement assistance and other non-profit services geared towards increasing family financial stability.
A Children’s entertainment area will make VITA Super Sunday a family affair and will include arts and crafts, movies, mascot appearances and light snacks.

"VITA saves working families $150, on average, in tax preparation costs and ensures that these families receive the maximum refund and access to tax credits for which they are eligible," said Dick Evans, chairman of VITA's 2010 program and CEO of Frost Bank. Donna Normandin, senior vice president of community development at Frost, is chairing VITA's Super Sunday event.

United Way has been closely involved with VITA since it became a community-wide effort. "VITA not only provides a valuable service to San Antonio families, but the funds saved by these families can help make ends meet during these difficult economic times," said Kim Bowers, chair of United Way’s Coordinating Council and Valero executive vice president and general counsel.

For those who can't attend VITA Super Sunday, free tax preparation is available at 28 VITA sites currently open across the city through April 15. ACCESS hopes to file 50,000 tax returns during this year’s tax season.

To take advantage of the free tax preparation service at a VITA site, taxpayers should bring the following items:

• Valid driver's license or photo I.D.;

• All W-2 forms; 1099 forms, if applicable;

• Social Security cards or Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers for all family members; those who are filing jointly must bring their spouse;

• Checking and/or savings account numbers (up to three accounts) for deposit of their refund directly to their account.

All returns are filed electronically and taxpayers can expect to receive their refunds within seven to 10 days. For those who need their tax refund more quickly, ACCESS is again partnering with generations federal credit union and offering a zero percent interest Refund Express loan. Individuals who opt for the Refund Express loan will pay only a $10 application fee. The Refund Express loan will be available at select VITA sites.

VITA Super Sunday's underwriting Sponsor is United Way's Women's Leadership Council. Gold sponsors include: the City of San Antonio, Bank of America, Chase Bank, Dolph Briscoe, Frost, H-E-B, USAA and Valero. Silver sponsors are: Broadway Bank, Citi and Wells Fargo. In-kind contributors include: Amegy Bank, generations federal credit union, Security Service Federal Credit Union, Southwest Office Systems Inc. and Workforce Solutions-Alamo.

VITA is an ACCESS project in partnership with the City of San Antonio, United Way, IRS and local corporations.

For more information about VITA or to locate a site, call the United Way Help Line at 2-1-1 or visit www.vitasa.org.