Here’s what you need to know to get free tax help in Milwaukee | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Meredith Melland
March 7, 2024
Tax time is here, and the April 15 filing deadline is drawing closer.
To help local taxpayers with their 2023 income tax returns, the IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, or VITA, has many locations in and around Milwaukee this year.
Certified VITA volunteers prepare taxes for free for individuals and families with household income of about $64,000 or less and for people who have disabilities or limited English-speaking abilities.
“Our goal is just to assist them (individuals and families) in getting their taxes done and helping them make sure they’re done right because it can be a very intimidating process for a lot of people,” said Nell Curtis, an accounting instructor and site coordinator for the VITA program at Milwaukee Area Technical College, or MATC.
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VITA volunteers help taxpayers file both state and federal tax returns for free through in-person sessions or document drop-offs. In Wisconsin, they check if clients qualify for the homestead credit and the earned income credit because they can have significant refunds.
The homestead credit is available for people who pay rent or property taxes in Wisconsin and have a household earned income of less than $24,680. It can lead to a refund of a few hundred dollars, Curtis said.
The Wisconsin earned income credit is a tax benefit for working families with children. Qualification depends on the household’s earned income amount and number of children.
“We have clients who get several thousand dollars through the earned income credit,” Curtis said.
The tax-filing deadline is Monday, April 15 for Wisconsin and federal tax returns, but many tax preparation sites require documents a few weeks in advance.
View VITA sites by location at the IRS Free Tax Prep Help website. Find a list of documents to bring here.
Wisconsin is also participating in the IRS Free File program this year, where qualifying residents can get connected to a free online tax-filing service from companies partnering with the IRS.
The IRS’s Tax Counseling for the Elderly, or TCE, program is another option for residents, especially seniors, to get free tax help.
Many TCE sites are operated by the AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide program, which provides free tax preparation for anyone, with a focus on adults age 50 and older, or those who have low to moderate income.
To find a Tax-Aide site with in-person, drop-off or other services, visit the Tax-Aide site locator, or schedule an appointment at some Tax-Aide sites in Milwaukee County here.
The Social Development Commission, or SDC, accepts walk-ins for in-person VITA services or document drop-offs for individuals and families with household incomes of $66,000 or less. To drop off tax documents, download and complete intake forms or stop by the office to pick up a packet.
VITA services are available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday at the SDC Main Office, 1730 W. North Ave., and its Lincoln Office in West Allis, 9004 W. Lincoln Ave. Both close for lunch from noon to 1 p.m. The main office also has Saturday hours from 8 a.m. to noon.
For more information, call 414-906-2700 or visit the SDC VITA website.
Riverworks Development Corp., 518 E. Concordia Ave., offers VITA services through its financial clinic. In-person appointments are full, but there are still some times available for drop-off services.
Schedule a drop-off appointment by calling 414-882-7430 or visiting the Riverworks website.
Before booking your appointment, complete this intake form and email it to RDCVITA@gmail.com or bring a printed copy to your appointment.
Two locations of Prime Financial Credit Union are providing VITA services with in-person appointments.
The Northwest branch, 4878 N. Swan Road, has appointments on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1 to 4 p.m. and the Walker’s Point branch, 225 W. Greenfield Ave., has times on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 4 p.m.
Appointment slots are limited and can be scheduled on Prime Financial’s website or by calling 414-486-4500.
VITA appointments are available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Saturdays of March 30, April 6 and April 13 at St. Francis of Assisi Parish, 1937 N. Vel R Phillips Ave. Call 414-376-8124 to schedule an appointment or find out more information.
The VITA site at Greater Mt. Sinai Church Of God In Christ, 5384 N. 60th St., is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. No appointment is required.
Residents can drop off tax documents in person at MATC’s Oak Creek Campus VITA clinic on Tuesdays through April 9 (except April 2 due to spring break) at 6665 S. Howell Ave., Oak Creek. Hours of operation are from noon to 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Appointments are not necessary.
Taxpayers will need to return to the campus at a later date to pick up their documents.
Student volunteers speak a variety of languages, including English, Spanish, Hindi, Punjabi, Hmong, Karenni, Karen, Burmese, Albanian, Italian, Urdu, Somali and Russian.
Clients can upload their documents to getyourrefund.org/matc to complete the process virtually.
VITA appointments are available during the day, evening and weekend at La Casa de Esperanza, located at 202 E. Broadway, Waukesha. La Casa works with English, Spanish and bilingual speakers. Schedule an appointment online or call 262-832-1534.
Meredith Melland is the neighborhoods reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.