Important information from the IRS

As of April 2020, over 23 million Americans filed for unemployment, and one out of four Americans received unemployment this year. It is important for you to know that unemployment is taxable income. Please don’t be caught off guard when filing your tax return next year!

Flyers from the IRS regarding this important information:

Publication 5444

Publication 544 (Spanish)

This flyer can also be found on the IRS website as Publication 5444: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5444.pdf. Other versions will be available soon on irs.gov.

What to Bring to Your Tax Appointment

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) provides IRS-trained tax professionals to provide tax-preparation services to clients. VITA volunteers provide timely, quality, and free tax preparation for low to moderate income individuals and families. Volunteers not only prepare tax returns, but simultaneously provide education to clients about their returns and eligible tax credits.

Who We Serve

Individual community members and families with an annual income less than $56,000 are eligible so long as they have minimal deductions for the Schedule C, no self-employment with expenses over $5,000, and have not filed bankruptcy within the past three years. Other exceptions for our service are determined on a case-by-case basis. VITA volunteers support fellow community members in saving money by completing tax returns and electronically filing to the IRS and RI Division of Taxation.

Key Features

VITA volunteers are local Senior Corps members and students from Roger Williams University, Community College of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College, and the University of Rhode Island. All volunteers are certified by 30+ hours of IRS training and assist clients with the following services:

Free tax preparation
Electronically filing tax returns to the IRS and Rhode Island Division of Taxation
Educating clients about the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which is one of the largest means of supplemental income for clients. EITC reduces the federal tax one owes and can result in a refund.

Location(s) of the Program

Benjamin Church Senior Center

Benjamin Church Senior Center, 1020 Hope Street
Bristol, RI 02809

First Presbyterian Church

First Presbyterian Church, 4 Everett Street
Newport, RI 02840

East Providence Senior Center

East Providence Senior Center- Breed Hall, 610 Waterman Avenue
East Providence, RI 02914

Hours of Operation

Tax Season January 28^th – April 15^th

East Providence: Tuesday and Wednesday, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Newport: Thursday, February 6^th, March 5^th and April 2^nd, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Bristol: Thursday (exception 1^st Thursday of the month) 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Friday, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Every other Saturday 9:00 A.M. – 12:00 PM

To Schedule an Appointment

Please call the Office of Volunteer Services at 401-435-7876 to schedule an appointment. View/print list of what to bring to your tax appointment. Please call at least 48 hours prior if you need to cancel your appointment. By appointment only.

How You Can Volunteer

You may volunteer with our program a few hours a week. Please call our office at 401-435-7876 to speak with the coordinator for more information.

East Bay Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program