UPO Taxwise Program Spells Refund Bonaza for DC Customers
As that often dreaded deadline approached, many lower income Washington, DC taxpayers turned to UPO for tax preparation services, and for the ?rst time ever, speedy electronic ?ling. UPO in 2008 was granted the ability to e-?le 2007 returns’ at no cost to the customer, saving each as much as $200, the average fee charged by commercial vendors depending on refunds. The DC community responded in numbers greater than originally forecast for the pilot project, dubbed Taxwise. One neighborhood resident was Mr. Russell Penndleton, an active man who stands straight, uses a cane for support although he doesn’t really need to, and drives his car with care and ease. What’s more, he looks at you as if you’ve been his lifelong friend. It turns out that his lifetime is 97-years, and that made the World War-II era Air Force veteran the oldest person to have had his taxes prepared by the United Planning Organization through the Taxwise program that was operated out of three UPO community service centers, Anacostia, Petey Greene, and Shaw. A span of 79-years years separated Mr. Penndleton’s age with that of the youngest tax customer, who was 18. Shirley Price, manager of UPO’s Community Engagement program, a component of the agency’s Asset Development Division, observed that volunteer staff were trained by the Internal Revenue Service allowing UPO to become a certi?ed VolunJUNE 2008
Russell Penndleton, 97, studies his 2007 tax return following preparation by volunteer UPO staff accountant Derek Dillahunt. Ms. Eunice Roy, 76, has her taxes prepared and e-?led at the UPO Anacostia Community Service Center by volunteer Tracey Turner, DC’s Ward-7 coordinator with agency’s REACH energy program.
teer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) agency. “We not only prepare and e?le their taxes, but provide additional UPO and neighborhood information as well,” observed Price, who added “we give them information on employment, training, senior citizens resources, youth services, childcare programs, and community meeting information, among others.” Meanwhile, Nickie McKenzie, manager of UPO’s DC REACH energy campaign and the tax program’s volunteer manager, noted that the activity, which commenced early February and ran through April 15, saw nearly 200 lower-income DC residents have their federal and DC taxes prepared and electronically?led. Ten UPO volunteers, made up of DC REACH team members and other staff, worked at the three UPO sites located throughout the city. Three banks, M & T, Wachovia, and Bank of America were on-hand
to offer new accounts to customers. Sixteen percent of participants signed-up with others promising to return to the centers for more oneon-one counseling with bank representatives. UPO records for February and March indicate customers’ collectively received more than $108,253 in federal, DC tax refunds, and earned income credits, clearly another boost to the DC economy, thanks to tax preparation and e-?ling services at the three UPO centers. Not one to forget those who gave their time and energy, the Asset Development Division in early May, formally thanked staff and volunteer participants in the Taxwise program, many of whom volunteered their services following normal day to day UPO duties.
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