Many Happy Returns
Women’s Center of Southeast Michigan Uses TurboTax Freedom Edition to Empower Families
When Joan Kauffman was a 32-year-old single parent, she was in need of a little financial help. Though she was a knowledgeable college graduate, she knew nothing about the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Finding out about the EITC made a world of difference in her life.
"I realized that if I did not know about the EITC then there may be a lot of other people who didn’t know either," says Kauffman. She was right; millions of eligible people do not claim the EITC each year.
She was a volunteer at the Women’s Center of Southeast Michigan in Ann Arbor when she learned about TurboTax Freedom Edition. Six years ago she helped the Center launch their tax assistance program as a way to make it easier for their clients to claim the EITC.
"TurboTax is easy to use, and it helps people claim the EITC, which can address huge economic problems in someone’s life. Just to be able to tell the gas company that you will be receiving a large refund check and that you can set up a payment plan with confidence makes a real difference to many families," says Kauffman.
Over the last five years the Center has helped from 50 to 100 people file their returns each year. Eight computer stations with Internet access are made available to taxpayers a couple of days each week during tax season.
Volunteers staff the clinic to answer questions about TurboTax, resolve computer issues, and make sure clients understand the procedures they need to follow. "It’s hard to make a mistake using TurboTax," she says, "but having a knowledgeable volunteer available really helps to reduce their anxiety level."
When Kauffman needed more help, she went to a great online resource, Volunteer Match. "Volunteer Match was a great help when we quickly needed more volunteers," she says.
She has been pleasantly surprised by the way people have been empowered by doing their own taxes. "Many people come into the clinic in debt and bummed out," says Kauffman. When they complete their tax returns using TurboTax Freedom Edition, they feel as if they have "slayed their dragons" by conquering their fears about using a computer, doing math, and dealing with the IRS.
"TurboTax Freedom Edition is a great program," says Kauffman, "and I would recommend it to any non-profit as a way to help people receive the EITC, as well as help people gain a sense of empowerment over their own finances."