VITA Tax Assistance Program

Free tax services for senior citizens and low-income families is available at various locations throughout our area as part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. VITA volunteers can also assist senior citizens and the disadvantaged in the preparation of Pennsylvania tax returns, Real Estate / Rent Rebate forms, PACE forms, and local wage taxes. View a list of area locations.

Necessary Forms

Persons seeking assistance should bring all tax documents such as: W-2 forms, interest and dividend statements, pension information, social security and/or railroad retirement statements, total amounts of itemized deductions, and copies of federal and state tax returns. Click here for a list of documents that will be needed. Participants should also bring copies of real estate tax receipts and sales receipts for large purchase items.

Free Tax Assistance

People making $56,000 or less usually qualify for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program for free tax preparation and electronic filing. Tax Counseling for the elderly, a similar community-based volunteer program, offers free tax help with priority assistance to people age 60 and older, specializing in questions about pensions and retirement issues. Additional information on these programs can be found on the IRS website.

Photo ID is required If filing a joint return, both parties must be present to sign the paperwork.

Status of your Refund

To track the status of your refund after filing a return, visit the "Where's My Refund?" tool available on the IRS.gov website. New last year, instead of an estimated date, “Where’s My Refund?” will give people an actual personalized refund date after the IRS processes the tax return and approves the refund.