For the 17th year, low- to moderate-income residents in Oakland and throughout Alameda County can have their taxes prepared for free through the Earn It! Keep It! Save It! (EKS) program.
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, in partnership with United Way Bay Area and the Alameda County EITC Coalition, kicked off the 2019 free tax preparation season with brief remarks during an event on February 21. Free tax preparation appointments will be ongoing with opportunities for photos and brief interviews with taxpayers and volunteer preparers.
With the support of trained, IRS-certified volunteer tax preparers, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites provide free tax preparation to individuals and families earning less than $55,000 in 2018. To find a tax site, call 2-1-1- or visit www.EarnItKeepItSaveIt.org
Last year, The Earn It! Keep It! Save It! Program in Oakland prepared taxes for over 10,000 families and helped bring back $12.6 million in tax refunds. That money gets spent locally, helping generate economic growth, jobs and a stronger tax base.
The Earn It! Keep It! Save It! program, United Way Bay Area, and the Alameda County EITC Coalition, supports more than 50 free tax preparation sites in Alameda County through the participation of a host of public and private-sector partners. For more information, please call the city of Oakland’s EITC Hot Line at (510) 238-4911 or visit www.AC-OCAP.com.