Washington, PA 

Community Action Southwest (CAS) will offer free, basic, online income tax filing assistance to qualified working households in Washington & Greene Counties who earned less than $54,000 in 2016.

VITA sites will be open January 24, 2017 through April 5, 2017 in both counties. Appointments are available each week on Tuesdays from 3 to 8 p.m. in Waynesburg and on Wednesdays from 1 to 8 p.m. in Washington.

Appointments are required at both locations. In order to find out if a taxpayer qualifies for the program and/or to make an appointment, taxpayers must contact PA 2-1-1 Southwest by dialing 2-1-1 on their telephone. Representatives at PA 2-1-1 Southwest are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

When taxpayers arrive for their scheduled appointments, they will need to bring the following documentation with them: valid photo identification, a social security card for every person on the tax return and all 2016 income documents. If the taxpayer would like to have their refund directly deposited into a bank account, they must bring their account information in the form of an official document from the bank with their routing and account numbers on it, such as a check.

Once again this year, CAS’ program will not be able to assist senior citizens who rely on social security and retirement pensions as they may be served through Tax Counseling for the Elderly sites.

Through its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program last year, volunteers helped to file 523 income tax returns in Washington and Greene Counties resulting in $776,690 in refunds which were funneled back into the local economy.

CAS operates its VITA Program in partnership with the Internal Revenue Service and through funding from the United Way of Washington County and the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania.

VITA is part of the agency’s Community Action WORKS initiative designed to serve its clients in a comprehensive fashion. Addressing adult education, employability, skills, housing and asset development, while creating opportunities and providing support for economic independence is the framework in which client success is realized.