Low- to moderate-income working families can receive free tax preparation services from Monday, Feb. 5, to Monday, April 15, at sites in Dauphin, Cumberland and Perry counties.

The effort is part of Money in Your Pocket (MIYP), a community collaboration of organizations committed to the economic stability of local families. The program, led by United Way of the Capital Region, aims to increase use of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC). The EITC is a tax credit offered by the federal government to supplement wages for low-income workers.

Volunteers will prepare computerized, electronic returns through the Internal Revenue Service's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, which is designed to provide low-income families with help completing federal and state returns and obtaining all eligible tax credits. This year, families consisting of two or more people that made a total of $64,000 or less and individuals who made $45,000 or less in 2023 may qualify for assistance.

MIYP will also offer virtual assisted tax preparation through Touch-Free Taxes. Touch-Free Taxes connects clients to trained volunteers who will prepare their taxes for free, and the service may be accessed from a smartphone, tablet or computer.

In conjunction with United Way Worldwide, MIYP will offer unassisted tax preparation through MyFreeTaxes. The site is available in both English and Spanish. Visit http://www.myfreetaxes.com for more information.

MIYP receives financial support from Citizen's Bank, PNC, the Truist Foundation and the U.S. Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service.

For more information on the MIYP program or for a list of tax sites, contact Heidi Neuhaus at hneuhaus@uwcr.org or 717-724-4077, or visit http://www.uwcr.org/miyp.