[JAMESTOWN, NY, MARCH 18] The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA), funded in part by the United Way of Southern Chautauqua County, has officially suspended all tax appointments due to evolving COVID 19 restrictions and crisis. The health and well-being of our staff, volunteers and clients are of the utmost importance, and we will be suspending all VITA operations until further notice. If you have an appointment already scheduled, our coordinators will be communicating with you in a timely manner.
The primary focus of the VITA program is securing Earned Income Tax Credits for working families who earned less than $56,000 in 2019. The goal of VITA is to ensure that 100% of the refund amount is returned to the taxpayer. Last year, 804 tax returns were processed through our local VITA program generating $910,016 in tax refunds returned to working families of our community.