FREE TAX ASSISTANCE to individuals and families who earned $75,000 or less in 2023
The 2025 Tax Season is coming!
Appointments will be available soon!
*Don’t forget to read through the instructions below before making an appointment*
The Tri-Valley Career Center’s commitment is to help our community fight against higher paid tax services.
Our team of IRS- Certified Volunteer Tax Preparers will help you through the entire process in the preparation of your income taxes. Accurateness is prioritized in our site by having all returns reviewed by a second tax preparer who is a Quality Reviewer.
Because of the continuation of COVID-19 and its variants, we will continue our partnership with Code America’s Get Your Refund platform to work as a drop-off site.
How it Works:
Depending on the type of service you choose, an In-Person Appointment or Drop-Off Service, there’s a different process for getting your documents and information to us.
Physical forms of Photo Identification (ID), Social Security Cards or ITIN’s for all the persons reported on your income tax, and copies of your tax documents must be provided at your appointment onsite.
Please review our What to Bring With You list before booking an appointment.
In Person Tax Preparation (One visit ~ 1.5 – 3 Hours):
1) A Greeter will give you an intake sheet or you can fill out the 13614-C Intake Form before hand and bring it with you. This will save you time during your appointment.
2 ) A Screener will revise the Intake form to ensure you have all documents ready. If you do not have all documents, we cannot start your return and you will have to make a new appointment to come back another day.
3) You will meet with a IRS Certified VITA Tax Preparer who will prepare your return.
4) A Quality Reviewer will review the return for completeness and accuracy after it is prepared.
5) Once the review is completed, the VITA Tax Preparer will print out a hard copy of your return for you to keep and you will have to sign the 8879 e-file authorization form.
6) Once your 8879 form is signed, we will submit your return by e-file.
Drop-off Services: (Two visits ~ 30 minutes each)
First Visit:
1) A Greeter will give you an intake sheet or you can fill out the 13614-C Intake Form beforehand and bring it with you. This will save time during your appointment.
2) A Screener will revise the Intake form to ensure you have all documents ready. If you do not have all documents, we cannot start your return and you will have to make a new appointment to come back another day.
3) If you have all of your documents, you will go through the intake interview and we will answer any questions you may have.
4) You will leave your documents with us. (We will return them when you come in for your second visit to sign your tax return).
Second Visit:
1) You will be contacted via telephone by our volunteers during the tax return preparation process if they have any questions.
2) If additional documents are required, you will be instructed on how to submit them.
3) When your return has been completed and quality reviewed, you will be advised when to pick up your documents and sign your return.
ITIN INFORMATION
An individual taxpayer identification number is an individualized number to identify taxpayers who aren’t eligible for a Social Security number and need to file a tax return.
We can assist you in applying for or renewing your ITIN at NO COST. As a Certified Acceptance Agent (CAA), we can fill out your application, and form W-7 and verify all documentation by helping you avoid delays and get your tax refund more quickly and efficiently.
Make an appointment the same way you would make a tax appointment and in the notes write “ITIN”.
Learn more about ITIN’s here.
Obtenga más información sobre los ITIN aquí.
RETURNS WE CANNOT ACCOMODATE
The following sources of income are OUT OF SCOPE for our VITA Site. If any of the following applies to you, we won’t be able to prepare your return.
- Married filing separately
- Foreclosure / short sale of personal residence
- Own rental property
- Sold virtual currency
- Self-employment and sole proprietor business with expenses over $25,000 business losses, depreciation or home office.
- Non-resident for tax purposes (1040NR)
- Sale of stocks acquired by stock options
- Kiddie tax
A service of the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District and a partner of EastBay Works
