You can help connect people to free income tax filing

The free income tax filing program in Kansas City needs an army of virtual volunteers.

You can help the KC Metro Tax Coalition better serve the thousands of area households that need help getting through the online process during the pandemic to use this critical tax assistance.

The University of Missouri Extension and its partners in the Coalition need more people to answer phone calls and emails and guide tax filers. The service also needs volunteers to help in the initial tax preparation intake, which only requires a short preparation course.

Working with United Way 211, the Coalition already has helped more than 2,000 people register for the service, and many of them have questions. The coalition needs more volunteers who can work two or three hours a week.

“You don’t need to love taxes or even prepare your own to help serve our clients,” said a statement from the Coalition. “We’ll train you on everything you need to know.”

The Coalition is part of the IRS’ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA). It has plenty of tax preparers, but needs more volunteers to help in the setup process.

How to sign up

Simply go to the free tax preparation web site by clicking here, and fill out the volunteer form at the bottom of the page. Or go directly to the volunteer form by clicking here.

Someone from the University will contact you and share the next steps.

“Your help will help put thousands of dollars back into the hands of families that need it the most,” the Coalition said.