Transcript Serving Immigrants

Serving Immigrants
About the Center for
Economic Progress
• Providing free tax preparation to low-income
taxpayers for 11 years
• Served over 25,000 taxpayers during 2005
• The Center also runs a Low-Income Tax
Clinic (LITC)
• Provides financial literacy and specialized tax
training
Keep it simple
• Basic information is needed on issues like
filing requirements, where to get forms
• Translators are needed in areas where we
historically only served English-speaking
clients. Number of immigrant taxpayers
growing in areas like Minnesota and
Colorado.
• Taxpayer education on W-4 and W-5 forms
Issues Surrounding
Immigrant Taxpayers
• “Should I file a tax
return?”
• Abuse by
employers of
advance Earned
Income Credit
• Need to apply for
ITINs for
themselves and
dependents
• VITA sites
apprehensive about
doing ITIN
applications
• VITA volunteers
uncomfortable with
ITINs
Partnership with IRS
• Local IRS SPEC ( Stakeholders,
Partnerships, Education and
Communication)
• ITIN and informational events
• Education (e.g. 1099s and quarterly
pymts)
• HIRE (Hispanic IRS Employees)
• Taxpayer Advocate Service
• TAC Center
• LITCs (IRS funded)
Other Strategies
• Become a Certifying
Acceptance Agent
• Partnership with other
community-based
organizations
• Partnership with the
Mexican Consulate
• Banks