Adriana Dueck–The Corsair
From now until April 14, PJC is reaching out to residents who make less than $49,000 per year for the chance to get their taxes completed for free.
PJC has teamed up to take part in offering its Pensacola site, Building 96, for the free tax program. The Department of Children and Families along with the Southeast Vocational Rehab Center are some of the other locations providing free tax service.
“This is all volunteers,” Nancy Taylor said, a local citizen who has been in charge of the PJC site for the last four years. “All of us who do it are volunteers; no one is getting paid. I want to let the students know that there are options out there.”
Tax returns can cost anywhere from $45-$100 at firms such as H&R Block. However, this donation and government-funded tax service, provided by local volunteers, has been in operation for the last 10 years.
“The reason that the service can be provided for free at local colleges and government institutions is the fact that the institution provides the site to do it and the government funds everything,” Taylor said.
On top of providing the service for absolutely free to anyone who is under the income cap, each volunteer is specially trained to help file every kind of tax report from
income taxes to specialty tax credits such as Child Tax Credits and Education Credits.