It’s hard to believe, but there is a benefit to filing your taxes – even if you don’t get a refund! That’s because getting free tax preparation at an Earn It! Keep It! Save It! site can open the door to hundreds of local programs that can help you improve your finances.
For example, Yolanda D. visited the Earn It! Keep It! Save It! site at the SparkPoint San Francisco at Plaza Adelante last year. Free tax preparation was just the first step for Yolanda. She earns a living by cleaning houses, and dreamed of formally starting her own house-cleaning business someday.
Our free tax sites can connect you with local programs that can help you start saving, go back to school, get a good job, buy a first home or start a new business.
With SparkPoint’s help, she connected with a business consultant who helped her register her business and develop a business plan. Mission Economic Development Agency, which runs the SparkPoint San Francisco center, provided Yolanda with a $1,500 business-startup grant, which she invested in her business. Yolanda was also referred to the Mission Asset Fund, a partner organization at Plaza Adelante, to sign up for the Individual Development Account (IDA) matched-savings program with the intention of saving more money to invest in her business.
With a robust plan for expanding and sustaining her company, Yolanda is well on her way to financial success. And, it all started with a tax return.
Earn It! Keep It! Save It! kicked off in the Bay Area last week and is providing free tax preparation at more than 200 locations to households that earned less than $50,000 in 2011. Call 211 or visit www.earnitkeepitsaveit.org to find the free tax site near you.
And when your taxes are done, don’t forget to ask about programs
