United Way announces free tax preparation program resuming after pandemic shutdown

WICHITA, Kan., June 18, 2020 — If you haven’t filed your taxes yet and have low-to-moderate income, the Free Tax Preparation program is now resuming with modifications after being closed during the pandemic shutdown.

Here’s how it will work:

• Call 2-1-1 (United Way’s free information line) to set up an appointment at one of four locations.
• At the appointment you will take in paperwork and complete a short interview while documents are scanned into an encrypted site.
• Then you will wait in your car or head home while IRS certified, volunteer tax preparers complete their work. If they have questions, they’ll give you a call.
• When your taxes are ready to be filed, you will receive a call to come back and review the paperwork.
• Once you’ve signed the forms, they will be submitted electronically to the IRS.

Social distancing guidelines will be observed at the sites and masks and hand sanitizer will be available. This year’s revised deadline to file taxes is July 15.

Free tax preparation will be available until July 15. The program is conducted locally by the BE$T* Coalition of South Central Kansas, which was founded and is supported by the City of Wichita, IRS and United Way of the Plains. The coalition consists of numerous organizations.

*Building Economic Stability Together

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MEDIA CONTACT: Delane Butler, Vice President of Marketing, United Way of the Plains, (316) 267-1321, Ext. 4105, dbutler@unitedwayplains.org