1. Tax Tips
Saturday, January 24, 2015 Valley Courier Page 5
ALAMOSA – For the sixth
year,AdamsStateUniversity
School of Business and Trini-
dad State Junior College Val-
ley Campus are partnering
with the Denver-based Piton
Foundation to help hard-
working families become
more financially secure by
providing free tax prepara-
tion assistance through the
Tax Help Colorado program.
Beginning January 28, IRS-
certified Adams State and
TSJC Valley Campus stu-
dents will prepare and e-file
tax returns free of charge for
individuals with household
incomes of less than about
$52,000 a year.
Tax Help Colorado has a
presence on 18 college cam-
pusesandoperates29freetax
sites statewide. More than 30
percent of Colorado families
ASU and TSJC Valley Campus will offer free tax filing
service to hard-working families through the Tax Help
are eligible to participate
in the program, which was
created to help alleviate the
financialburdenoftaxprepa-
ration on families that are
striving to achieve financial
stability.
Many of the families that
qualify for free tax help are
also eligible for valuable tax
benefits such as the Earned
Income Tax Credit (EITC)
andChildTaxCredit,andthe
preparers at ASU and TSJC
Valley Campus sites special-
izeinensuringthattaxpayers
receive the refunds they de-
serve.Oneofthenation’smost
successful anti-poverty tools,
the EITC help struggling
families make ends meet.
In 2014, Tax Help Colorado
helped nearly 10,400 taxpay-
ers receive more than $20.5
millionintaxrefunds,includ-
ing nearly 7.8 million from
the EITC. In addition, the
program saved lower-income
taxpayers nearly $2 million
in commercial tax prepara-
tion fees.
This free service is quick
and confidential.
From January 31 through
March 16, Adams State’s free
tax site is open from 9 a.m.
until 4 p.m. every Saturday;
and from 4 p.m. until 7:30
p.m. every Monday, in the
Business School lobby, Third
St. and Richardson Ave.
From January 28 through
March 25, TSJC Valley Cam-
pus free tax site is open every
Wednesday from 4 p.m. until
8 p.m. in room 216, located at
1011 Main St. The site will
be closed on March 18. Also,
the site will be open from 9
a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday,
March 28.
This year, there will be a
site available at Centauri
High School in La Jara. The
site will be open from 5 p.m.
until 8 p.m. every Tuesday
from February 3 through
February24,aswellasMarch
3, March 10, March 17 and
March 31. The site will also
have Saturday hours from 9
a.m. until 2 p.m. on February
7, March 14 and March 21.
Peoplewhoaregettingtheir
taxes prepared and ASU and
TSJC Valley Campus should
bring the following docu-
ments:
* All W-2, 1099s and other
income-related documents.
* Proof of mortgage inter-
est, property taxes, daycare
payments, college education
expenses, charitable contri-
butions and all other tax-
deductible expenses.
* For college expenses: In
addition to Form 1098T from
your college, you must bring
your own records of expenses
paid for tuition, books, fees
and supplies.
* Social Security Cards (or
ITINs)forallfamilymembers.
Photo I.D. required.
* A copy of last year’s tax
return, if available.
* Form 1095-A if you or any
memberofyourhouseholdgot
tax credits to pay for health
insurance.
*Bankaccountnumberand
routing number to direct de-
posityourrefund.Withdirect
deposits,refundsarereceived
in 10–14 days.
A list of all the Tax Help
Colorado sites, as well as the
locations of other free tax
assistance sites in Colorado,
is available by dialing 2-1-
1 (it’s a free call), visiting
http://www.piton.org/tax-
help-colorado, or finding Tax
Help Colorado on Facebook
(www.facebook.com/taxhelp-
colorado) and Twitter (@
TaxHelpCo).
AboutthePitonFoundation
The Piton Foundation,
which is part of Gary Com-
munity Investments, is a
private operating foundation
establishedin1976byDenver
oilman Sam Gary. We are
committed to improving the
livesofColorado’slow-income
childrenandtheirfamiliesby
increasing access to quality
earlyeducationandyouthde-
velopment opportunities and
fostering healthy family and
community environments.
STATEWIDE — As the
number of working poor in
Colorado continues to grow,
an estimated 400,000 strug-
glingfamiliesareeligiblefor
valuablefederaltaxbenefits
like the Earned Income Tax
Credit(EITC)andChildTax
Credit. This tax season, the
EITC will put more than
$700 million back into the
pockets of hard-working
Colorado families with chil-
dren that earned less than
about $52,000 in 2014.
One of the nation’s most
successfulanti-povertytools,
the EITC promotes employ-
ment while providing valu-
able refunds to lower-wage
earners who are striving to
achieve financial security.
While more than 345,000
Coloradans claimed $737
million from the EITC last
year, an estimated 50,000
Coloradans missed out on
as much as $85 million in
EITC refunds because they
didn’t know they exist. To
increase EITC awareness,
the Denver-based Piton
Foundation is conducting a
statewide public education
campaign, helping to ensure
thatalleligiblefamilies—in-
cluding active military and
returning veterans—claim
the EITC refunds they de-
serve.
According to The Piton
Foundation, research shows
thatliftingastrugglingfam-
ily’s income helps children
do better in school, which
leads to increased educa-
tional attainment and high-
er earnings in adulthood.
In addition, an increased
family income results in
improved child wellness be-
causehealthyhabitsbecome
more affordable.
The maximum income to
qualify for the EITC this
year ranges from $14,590
for a single person with no
children, to $38,511 for a
single parent with one child,
and $52,427 for a married
couple with three or more
children. The credit can be
as much as $6,143 for very
low-income workers with
children.TheEITCoperates
by reducing the amount of
taxes owed and increasing
the size of the refund.
Information on EITC eli-
gibility and a full list of free
income tax assistance sites
in Colorado can be found by
dialing 2-1-1 (it’s a free call),
visiting www.piton.org/eitc,
orfindingTaxHelpColorado
on Facebook at www.face-
book.com/taxhelpcolorado
andTwitterat@TaxHelpCO.
STATEWIDE – Taxpay-
ers are advised not to put
off planning and filingtaxes
until April.
1. Discover the conve-
nience of Revenue Online
now. Taxpayers can create
their own Login ID and
password to access their
Colorado income tax records
at www.Colorado.gov/Rev-
enueOnline Having access
to tax accounts in Revenue
Online is similar to online
banking. Some examples of
things folks can do in their
accounts are:
· View and print copies of
tax returns (back to 2009)
· View 1099-G amounts
for prior year tax refunds
issued by the Department
of Revenue
· View payment history
· File return, no charge
for filing in Revenue Online
· Get refund status
· Upload electronic copies
of tax documentation
2. Collect any documents,
informationorformsthatare
required to file taxes. This
is documentation needed to
support tax credits or sub-
traction claims. Then start
checking for W-2 and 1099
statements by mail or other
distribution methods. Put
things in a safe place. Print
and keep records for at least
four years.
3. Decide how to file Colo-
rado 2014 tax return
· Revenue Online. File a
return through the Depart-
ment of Revenue’s free Rev-
enueOnlineservice,without
signingupforaLoginIDand
password. Filing through
Revenue Online is free, se-
cure and convenient.
· Federal and State Elec-
tronicFiling.Thisisanother
option available by purchas-
ing tax software at a store
or online, or finding a paid
tax professional. Paper cop-
ies of returns should not be
mailed to the Department
of Revenue when filing elec-
tronically.
· Filing on paper will
take longer to process and
increases chances of errors,
which delays refunds. Only
file on paper if one of the
electronic filing methods is
not available. Paper forms
and booklets are still avail-
able at public libraries or on
the Colorado Taxation Web
site, www.TaxColorado.com
Get a refund in 10 days by
e-filingandaskingforDirect
Deposit. By filing on paper,
refunds could take as long as
12 weeks. The deadline for
payingincometaxisApril15.
Earned Income Tax Credit helps families build security
File taxes on line with Colorado's Revenue Online system
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