Tax season is here again, and the non-profit Gateway EITC Community Coalitionis ramping up its effort to help low and middle income residents file their returns.
As April 15 approaches, volunteers will be available on Saturdays at 13 locations across the region to assist taxpayers with a household income of less than $51,000.
The tax preparation help is free and no appointment is needed at the Saturday locations.
Russ Signorino is the nonprofit’s executive director and said helping low and middle income residents get their full tax refund is critical to the local economy.
“It’s a big deal to everybody who lives here in the St. Louis area because most of this money is being spent here in St. Louis,” Signorino said. “It’s not like they’re taking $7,000 in their IRS check and jumping on a plane and blowing it in Vegas, they're spending it here.”
Signorino said 68 percent of the people receiving the free tax service use their returns to take care of unpaid bills.
Bob Tatum works in the information systems department at Edward Jones and volunteers to help people file their taxes.
“The common story ranges from people who are overwhelmed by all of it, they don’t know how to fill out all the different boxes on the forms,” Tatum said. "Or, their returns are at all complicated they don’t know all the different returns they should be filing.”
The Gateway EITC Community Coalition hopes to prepare up to 7,000 tax returns at locations on both the Missouri and Illinois side of the metro area. Last year the non-profit coalition found $8.2 million in refunds, with the average individual return totaling $1,400.
If your household income was $51,000 or less in 2012 then you can receive free tax assistance at the below locations and times. No appointment is needed.
North St. Louis City
- Etzel Place Community Center: 5888 Plymouth, St. Louis, MO 63112 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturdays: March 9, March 16, March 23, and March 30.
South St. Louis City
- Five Star Senior Center: 2832 Arsenal St., St. Louis, MO 63118 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturdays: March 9, March 16, March 23, and March 30.
Central St. Louis City
- Schlafly Library – with UM-St. Louis: 225 North Euclid, St. Louis, MO 63108 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturdays: March 9, March 16, March 23, March 30, April 6 and April 13.
North St. Louis County
- Ferguson Municipal Library – with UM-St. Louis: 35 North Florissant Rd., Ferguson, MO 63135 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Saturdays: March 9, March 16, March 23, March 30, April 6 and April 13.
- Lincoln University: 9041 Riverview Dr., St. Louis, MO 63137 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturdays: March 9, March 16, March 23, and March 30
St. Charles County
- Middendorf-Kredell Branch Library – with UM-St. Louis; 3750 Highway K, O’Fallon, MO 63366 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturdays: March 9, March 16, March 23, March 30, April 6 and April 13.
- Spencer Road Library – with UM-St. Louis: 427 Spencer Rd., St. Peters, MO 63376 from 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturdays: March 9, March 16, March 23, March 30, April 6 and April 13.
Illinois
- Family Development Center: 1045 State Street, Fairmont City, IL 62201 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturdays: March 9, March 16, March 23, March 30, April 6 and April 13
- New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church: 5803 Belmont Ave., East St. Louis, IL 62203 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturdays: March 9, March 16, March 23, March 30, April 6 and April 13
- St. Vincent De Paul: 3718 State Street, Centreville, IL 62205 from 9 a.m. – Noon. Saturdays: March 9, March 16, March 23, March 30, April 6 and April 13
- Lewis and Clark Bethalto Community Education Center: 1136 Airline Drive, East Alton, IL 62024 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturdays: March 9, March 16, March 23, March 30, April 6 and April 13
- Edwardsville Public Library: 112 S. Kansas, Edwardsville, IL 62025 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturdays: March 9, March 16, March 23, and March 30
- Collinsville Memorial Library: 408 West Main St., Collinsville, IL 62234 from 9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturdays: March 9, March 23, and March 30
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