By Amy Langdon

Tax Day is April 17th this year and although it's still two months away, volunteers are already making sure some people in Oskaloosa will get their taxes done. CRI's Amy Langdon has more on Mahaska's Vita Tax site and how it's helping people and bringing money back into the local economy.

Julie Hyland is the accountant for the United Way of Mahaska County. But this time of year, her focus shifts. Hyland coordinates a Vita Tax site in Oskaloosa. Vita or Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program offers free tax help to low- and moderate- income taxpayers.

"People are so grateful that we're doing it. Actually all the volunteers feel pretty happy after they do it, they feel that they're really helping people," Hyland says.

Volunteers, mainly people with accounting backgrounds, have to become re-certified every year. The site offers free electronic filing to taxpayers who meet certain income requirements, generally people with an income below $50,000.

"Not only are we helping people get their returns filed, we're helping them get more accurate returns. Some of them may not know that they qualify for some of the credits that the IRS gives. They may not be able to pay the accounting fee and they don't understand it themselves," Hyland says.

And finding those credits, such as the child tax credit and earned income credit, means more money is being refunded to people in Mahaska county. Money that could be put back into the local economy. Last year, the local vita tax site did 143 income tax returns totalling $235,000 in federal returns and $34,000 in state returns.

"There's child tax credits. There's earned income credits. And some of them have certain requirements you have to meet and people may or may not understand how to do them," Hyland says.

Mary Werner has been a Vita Volunteer as long as the program's been in town. This will be the fourth year. She says taxes aren't anything to be scared of.

"Some people are afraid of taxes. So we try to put people at ease at our tax sites. It's a real laid back environment," Werner says.

Hyland says Vita tax will be especially helpful with recent changes to IRS policy. This year, the IRS will be no longer be providing paper tax forms at libraries. Filers must go online and print them. Hyland predicts in the next few years, all tax returns will be required to be done electronicly.

Appointments are required to receive help from the Mahaska Vita Tax Site, located at the United Way building at 500 High Avenue West. To see if you qualify for tax help or to become a Vita Tax volunteer, call Julie Hyland at 641.673.6043.