Community Tax Center services

This month's featured resource is the Community Tax Center!  Today is officially the first day that the Community Tax Center is open for business.  Hours and locations can be found on our web site:  www.communitytaxcenters.org.  Below are some things to make sure to let your clients know as well as some things you should know about how your experience volunteering will be different during tax season.

Things to tell clients:

• The IRS will start accepting returns on January 22.  Before then, we will prepare a paper return and the client can come back on the 22nd to sign paperwork for e-filing.
• Call 2-1-1  or go to www.communitytaxcenters.org to get information or schedule an appointment.
• Clients who do not want to wait can use our drop-off service - when they arrive at a Tax Center location, they can tell the intake specialist that they want to drop off their return and Tax Center staff will contact them when the return is complete.
• Clients who need an ITIN should come in during our ITIN Acceptance Agent hours, Tuesdays 3-7 pm.
• We will prepare basic self employed and small business taxes. 
• We will help with prior year returns starting in March.
• Clients who buy at least $100 in savings bonds through their tax return can get a $25 HEB gift card.
• Clients who have questions about taxes we prepared for them can email taxes@foundcom.org or call (512) 610.7374
•  www.irs.gov has a wealth of information. Including “where’s my refund?”

Things you should know:

Office Space - We have very limited office space during tax season.  Please be sure to put future appointments in Appointment Plus before you and your client leave to make sure an office is available. If you don't have time, or if you don't have your login information, let a staff member know and we will put it in Appointment Plus for you.

Parking - If you do not have a physical handicap that makes it difficult for you to walk, please park off-site for the duration of tax season.  We have very limited partking available at the CFC and we need to save those spots for clients.  There are a couple options for parking:

• Park on Buffalo Pass, two streets east of the Community Financial Center.  Buffalo Pass is part of the Cherry Creek Duplexes neighborhood, a Foundation Communities property!  It is about a 5-7 minute walk at a leisurely pace, no crossing of streets involved.
• Park on Cherry Creek Drive, on the other side of West Gate (my favorite).  You’ll have to cross the street but there is a handy cross walk.  It’s about a 3-5 minute walk depending on how you hit the traffic light at the crosswalk. 
• Park on Stoutwood Circle east of the Community Financial Center on the south side of Stassney.  While this is an option, I don’t encourage it.  There is no pedestrian cross walk, so you have to be EXTRA careful when crossing Stassney.

Wherever you park, please take caution not to park in front of mailboxes, or in front of garbage/recycling bins on collection day.  We want to be good neighbors! 

Name Badges - We encourage you to wear your Financial Coaching name badge when you are here.  There will be lots of people at the Community Financial Center and we would like to be able to easily identify what everyone's role is.  We have name badges for most of you in the Financial Coaching office.  If you can't find yours, please let a staff member know.

Financial Coaching staff - During all Financial Coaching hours, you will see Erika Leos, Jasmine Kotlarz, Nick Banach or Clint McManus.  Whatever you need, let us know!