Troy, NY – January 21, 2014 – As tax season approaches, CEO’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA) is already taking appointments. The program offers free income tax preparation services to Rensselaer County households making less than $52,000 annually. The program is funded by the Greater Capital Region CASH Coalition, and it is intended to help individuals and families file their taxes and receive refunds and credits to which they are entitled.

“This service is highly beneficial to the community,” says Kristine Darling, Financial Literacy Coordinator at CEO. “All of our tax preparers have considerable training through the IRS and experience in the field. There is a quality review of each tax return and the money is going where it belongs – into the bank accounts of our tax-paying customers. Without this service, some of our customers might be afraid to file, be unable to pay for proper tax preparation, or some could even fall victim to one of the many scams out there. With VITA, we are able to protect our customers and empower them to be responsible tax paying citizens.”

Last year alone, CEO’s VITA program returned over $500,000 dollars to participating Rensselaer County residents.

Appointments will begin on January 28^th and will take place at CEO’s Joseph L. Bruno Family Resource Center, 2328 Fifth Avenue, Troy, every Tuesday and Thursday evening from 3:30 – 7:00 pm. Customers will be counselled before their appointment on what documents they will need to bring in order to file. For more information or to set up an appointment, please visit www.ceo-cap.org/VITA, call CEO at (518) 272-6012, or email Kristine Darling at kdarling@ceo-cap.org.