Thanks for the TAX Program 2009 ... by Julie Soyer, VITA Coordinator On the eve of April 15th, I thought that I would share with you the results of our 2009 Tax  Assistance Program at St. Francis of Assisi. This year we prepared approximately 73 sets of tax returns resulting in close to $103,000 in net refunds to our clients.  As you all know, tax refunds act as a stimulus to the economy because many times people use their refunds to purchase items that they would normally not purchase otherwise.  This year due to the poor economy, many of our clients are now living on reduced incomes as a result of pay decreases or loss of employment so these refunds are even more important as they will provide additional cash flow for household expenses.  Whatever the use our clients will put these refunds to, the result will surely help them and perhaps provide a small boost to the economy in the greater Ann Arbor area. I cannot thank you all enough for all of your efforts and time spent this year.  Without the major commitment of your time, this program would not be possible.  Many of our clients cannot afford quality tax preparation and possibly would not file a tax return in order to take advantage of the various credits offered to low income tax payers.  You are all to be commended for your efforts and should be proud of your work in this program.  The net refund this year is nearly double what we achieved last year. I would also like to thank you all for the care and kindness you showed to every client who came into our offices.  Sometimes it’s difficult to listen to all of the hardship cases that come with a poor economy and low incomes but each of you are amazing individuals and our clients are very appreciative of your help and support.  Sometimes our clients just like to talk to someone who is willing to listen and you provided that extra comfort to them during this stressful time. This year was very challenging to our program because we decided to expand the program due to an increased amount of volunteers, but you all made it so much easier to manage.  As a result of your time commitment, we were able to expand our program to 15 appointments each week.  Because of this, we were able to see more clients this year, many earlier in the season, which hopefully resulted in our clients receiving their refunds earlier than in prior years. As I look back over the 9 weeks that we ran the program and think about the many people that we helped, one in particular comes to mind.  This year we had a gentlemen who had held a decent job in Indiana but lost it as the economy started to falter and he relocated to Michigan to find employment.  He told me that he had worked for a while but lost that job again due to the poor economy.  He then lived under a bridge for a time before moving into a homeless shelter.  He had no personal transportation and was forced to walk everywhere he needed to go or rely on the kindness of others for rides.  He did not receive a very large tax refund, maybe a few hundred dollars, but donated $5.00 to the church and pledged to come back and donate $100.00 more once he received his refund.  We’ll never know if he does this, but it’s amazing that someone who has little or nothing would want to give so much.  The church received several other donations from our clients, who all gave from their hearts, not their surpluses.  This gentlemen and the many others like him are the reason why this program is so important. I would like to thank all of you who joined our program for the first time this year.  I hope that you enjoyed your experience and will consider coming back again next year.  Brad, Diana, Kathy, Lisa, Ralph, Virginia, Deisy and Bob – it was a pleasure to meet you all and work with you this year! Of course, I also would like to send a special thanks to those of you who came back again this year.  You were familiar with the program and had met several of the clients in the past and as a result, the program was able to run smoothly due to your experience.  Greg M., Greg R., Lynn, Patricia and Sylvia – thank you for coming back! Last but certainly not least, I would like to thank Scott Wright for his continued support of the program and making sure that we had what we needed to manage the program, Jim Russo for installing the software and checking up on us in the early weeks to make sure the computers were running well, and to Father Jim and Father John for all of their help and support during the 9 weeks.  A special thanks also goes out to Marty, Barb, Nunu, Pam, Gail, Colleen, and the weekday evening and Saturday office volunteers for letting us use their offices, and take and confirm the appointments. I hope to see you all soon.  Have a wonderful year and thank you again for your work in this program.  I hope that you all found it to be very rewarding.  --- And, we all give thanks for our coordinator:  Julie Soyer. ---

Help With Tax Returns: Volunteers are needed on Saturday mornings from February 7 - April 4, 2009, at St. Francis Parish, to assist in preparing a tax return for a low income person.  Training materials are provided.  Please contact: Julie Soyer (734-547-7164)  ;    (NOTE:  The program is NOT open on HOLY Saturday, April 11, 2009). Tax Assistance Volunteer Program - VITA Fill out the following form and click the "Submit" button. ------------------------------------------------------ Volunteer Application - Online Sign-Up for VITA- Tax Assistance Volunteer Program     Name:      Telephone:(Home# Work# Day# Evening#)      E-mail Address:  __I WILL assist with preparing Tax Returns.  __I NEED HELP with my Tax Return.  -(If you are a home bound senior citizen a home visit is possible if you call Catholic Social Services' Tax Assistance - VITA Program at 734-712-3625. ) (Also, all year round senior citizen tax clients, may get TAX help either at the Catholic Social Services - Older Adult Services office or by home visit.  Call 734-712-3625)  __I want someone to contact me.  I want to  learn more about this Tax Assistance - VITA Program. List Other Comments Here: Questions contact:  ; or, the Parish Social Ministry Office,  .   . . . . Do You Need Help With Your Tax Return??? St. Francis Church will offer help to individuals with limited income and simple tax returns.  (We can only prepare returns with income of $45,000.00 or less.)   Parishioners volunteer their time to assist those in need, on their Income Tax Return. Call the parish office (734-769-2550) to make a 45-minute appointment for any Saturday, listed here: We will offer Tax Form Assistance at 10:30AM to 12:30PM. Every Saturday from February 7 - April 4, 2009.   (except NOT on HOLY Saturday, April 11, 2009). Location: Parish Office meeting room. (Do not just walk-in, please sign-up by the Friday before your Saturday appointment. We cannot promise to meet with you unless you sign up in advance.)  Contact: (734-769-2550). (If you are a home bound senior citizen a home visit is possible if you call Catholic Social Services' Tax Assistance - VITA Program at 734-712-3625. )   (Other TAX help, after our program ends, may be found at: Michigan Works Service Center 734-484-7247) Individuals requesting tax assistance should              bring the following items to their session: Social Security Card, as well as the Social Security Card for any dependents to be claimed on the tax return. Government issued ID card, a Drivers' License or other identification card. If you filed last year: Last year’s tax returns. (We can only prepare returns with income of $45,000.00 or less.) If employed: W-2 forms. If you earned interested or received dividends: 1099 forms. If you received social security or pensions: 1099 forms. If you received Supplemental Security Income (SSI): Records indicating the amount received for the calendar year…both federal and state amounts. If you own your own home: Property tax receipts/assessment documents. Heating bills. If you rent: Records indicating the amount of rent paid for the calendar year. Heating bills if paid separately from rent. Other relevant documents in the event you have sold stocks, bonds or property…or you wish to itemize deductions.  Like to Help With Tax Returns, Click Here!

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