Free tax preparation services for students and the community are available again at the Del Mar College Heritage Campus for tax season. Del Mar has again partnered with United Way of the Coastal Bend to bring the VITA program, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, to help eligible taxpayers prepare and file their tax returns. Those who had a 2024 household income of $67,000 or less qualify to have their tax returns prepared at one of VITA’s sites.
“The IRS partners with community groups throughout the country to provide free income tax return preparation and e-filing to low- and moderate-income taxpayers,” said United Way of the Coastal Bend’s Vice President of Community Impact Donna Hurley. Hurley explained that Del Mar College has been offering these services for many years and has been the longest running and busiest site for VITA. “People know where they are and can depend on them, so they return every year to Del Mar’s site.”
The service at Del Mar helps people meet their tax obligations, and ensure they are eligible to claim credits to which they are entitled.
“Often these are families that live kind of close to the edge. Needing new tires for the car, have the refrigerator quit working,” Hurley said. “Those kinds of things can really create havoc and so we want folks to have money in their pockets to take care of their families.”
Services are from 2-6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Viking Hall, Room A142, and will be closed during spring break, March 10-14. Anyone wanting to use the services should bring the following: a photo ID, a Social Security card or individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) letter for all individuals listed on the return; plus W-2s, 1099s (including 1099-G for unemployment received if applicable) and all other tax-related documents for 2024; a form 2095-A, B or C Health Insurance Coverage Statement; all 1098 E&T forms for educational expenses (if applicable); childcare provider names, addresses, phone numbers and tax ID numbers; and a copy of your 2023 tax return if available.
Help from the VITA program is also available at four other locations around Corpus Christi. Check out the VITA website at https://www.uwcb.org/vita for more information.
