Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) urges all residents of Boston and the Mystic Valley who earned $60,000 or less in 2022 to schedule a FREE in-person tax prep appointment at one of our neighborhood sites by calling 617-348-6329 or visiting bostonabcd.org/tax.
ABCD is a co-founder of the Boston Tax Help Coalition, a public-private collaboration with the City of Boston, which seeks to ensure the full participation of all Boston residents in the City’s economic vitality and future. In addition, ABCD is a member of the Massachusetts Association for Community Action (MASSCAP) Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) network and offers free tax preparation services in the Mystic Valley Area. Both the Boston and Mystic Valley coalitions fall under the federal VITA program.
ABCD’s IRS-certified tax preparers will prepare and electronically submit returns through in-person appointments and document drop off. Last year, ABCD helped 2,565 residents complete their state and federal tax returns, resulting in $6,431.747 in federal and state refunds combined, $1,454.056 in Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) and $72,597 in Child Tax Credits (CTC). That economic infusion channeled dollars back to hardworking families and revitalized businesses in under-resourced neighborhoods. For over 30 years, ABCD has provided more than 150,000 people across the city with free tax preparation services.
Those who may qualify for free tax preparation services include:
• People who earned $60,000 or less in 2022
• People with disabilities
• Limited English-speaking taxpayers
ABCD tax volunteers are multilingual, and fluent in eight languages including English, Spanish, French, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Cape Verdean Creole and Haitian Creole.
“ABCD is proud to be a longstanding partner of the VITA program and the Boston Tax Help Coalition,” said ABCD President and CEO Sharon Scott-Chandler. “Free tax preparation services help empower people who are struggling by providing the necessary IRS-certified tax experts to complete their returns, ensuring that Greater Boston residents obtain every tax credit to which they are entitled. In doing so, money is channeled directly back into the hands of residents and under-resourced communities. People have an opportunity they don’t often have to access a lump sum of their hard earned cash and pay off debts or save toward things like buying a house or furthering education. With extraordinarily high food and energy prices today, they are also able to help meet immediate needs like rent and transportation.”
ABCD’S IRS-certified tax preparers will make sure that residents receive every tax relief measure to which they are entitled, including:
• EITC – Earned Income Tax Credit – one of America’s most effective anti-poverty initiatives – EITC is a tax deduction that rewards work. This year a Married Filing Jointly family with three or more children earning up to $59,187 and filing jointly will receive total federal and state EITC deductions of $9,016 off their 2022 income tax. EITC can be claimed retroactively for the past three years, so eligible taxpayers can qualify for a sizable sum. The IRS estimates that one out of five eligible taxpayers will not claim EITC and will lose out on this important credit.
• CTC – CHILD TAX CREDIT – returns a maximum of $2,000 in 2022. This is a non-refundable credit which reduces the tax liability. The CTC has been reduced to 30% of the total amount paid for tax year 2022.
• SENIOR CIRCUIT BREAKER – a state tax deduction providing seniors age 65 and older who pay unsubsidized rent or property taxes. The maximum credit amount for tax year 2022 is $1,200. If the credit owed exceeds the amount of the total tax payable for the year, the additional amount of the credit will be refunded without interest.
A Massachusetts-based nonprofit human services organization, ABCD provides disadvantaged residents in the Boston and Mystic Valley areas with the tools, support, and resources they need to transition from poverty to stability and from stability to success. Each year, we serve more than 100,000 individuals, elders and families through a broad range of innovative initiatives as well as long-established, proven programs and services. For 60 years, ABCD has been deeply rooted in each neighborhood we serve, empowering individuals and families and supporting them in their quest to live with dignity and achieve their highest potential. For more, please visit bostonabcd.org.