Valley VITA, BB&T to offer unique tax experience

Let’s face it; having your taxes prepared isn’t exactly the most exciting way to spend the morning for most of us.

For those wanting to have a slightly different experience, Valley VITA and BB&T are partnering to bring the BB&T Bank Bus, a 40-foot mobile financial classroom to Waynesboro on Friday, March 10th from 9am until 2pm at the Waynesboro Public Library.

The primary purpose of the bus’ visit will be so that VITA volunteers can provide FREE tax preparation service for households whose income is $54,000 or less. Another purpose for the visit, according to CAPSAW Executive Director Anna Leavitt: “It is a really cool bus!” While adding that “it is also an opportunity to spread the word about financial education and the importance of having a bank account.”

Outfitted with computers and internet access, the BB&T Bank Bus is a mobile marketing and educational center with ATMs and classroom furnishings. It serves as a community resource center conducive to providing financial education and lending information to high schools, college campuses, community events and large employers. The bus even assists in disaster areas.

Volunteers will be on hand throughout the day preparing taxes on the bus, and helping ensure that community members receive money they’ve earned through valuable federal programs such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit.

For a full schedule of tax site locations and hours, visit unitedwayga.org/valley-vita.

 

About VITA

The VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program helps families by using volunteers that will be preparing tax returns for clients for free, because many people cannot afford to pay for this service. The Earned Income Tax Credit, one of the largest anti-poverty programs in the U.S. and the Child Tax Credit lifted more than 10.1 million people out of poverty, half of them children in 2014. Unfortunately, up to 10 billion dollars goes unclaimed each tax season.

About CAPSAW

Community Action Partnership of Staunton, Augusta, and Waynesboro (CAPSAW) is the community action agency designated in July 2009 by Virginia’s governor to serve the citizens of Augusta County, the City of Staunton, and the City of Waynesboro. CAPSAW administers funds made available annually to designated community action agencies through the Federal Community Services Block Grant, the State Community Services Block Grant, and Federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) funds, along with required match funds provided by each of three localities.