By: Kallyn Hobmann, 23ABC
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Tax season officially began this week. Now, there’s a chance you don’t have to file taxes due to your income but officials said it’s good to file no matter what.
In an email, the Franchise Tax Board’s Andrew LePage said by doing so, a person can receive a tax refund if they worked and had income withheld.
You can also qualify for the California Earned Income Tax Credit, or the state’s Young Child or new Foster Youth Tax tax credits, and you can qualify for any potential one-time payments in the future like we saw with the Golden State Stimulus Checks and the Middle-Class Tax Refund.
The United Way of Central Eastern California’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, or VITA, is a free way to get help filing your taxes. IRS-certified volunteers are available for those who need them.
“Because it is a free program, we are focusing on people that are struggling and maybe can’t go and pay for a paid preparer, so that is our target. If somebody comes in that makes over that, we won’t turn them away but we really want to emphasize that the program is for low to moderate households,” said financial stability manager Annelisa Perez.
She said they encourage those households to take advantage of this free resource. They hope Kern County residents see just how beneficial doing so can be, whether it’s required for them or not.
“You may not need to file but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. There’s always a benefit to filing, especially for those that make under the income guidelines. Those are the individuals that are getting the most money back,” said Perez.
To learn more about the VITA program, click here.
