Since 2004, Foundation Communities has operated free tax preparation for low-income families at Community Tax Centers in Austin and Arlington. In 2007, the program's 350 IRS-certified volunteers prepared 13,550 tax returns, bringing more than $17 million into the Austin economy.


You are eligible for free tax preparation if you are:

• An individual who makes $25,000 a year or less.

• A family (2-4 people) making a total of $50,000 a year or less.

• For larger families, the income limit goes up $5,000 for each individual (a family of 5 can make up to $55,000, a family of 6 can make up to $60,000, etc.).

• You are qualified to use tax forms that we are sanctioned to prepare.

Free tax preparation is part of Foundation Communities' mission to make housing affordable and help families succeed, because tax refunds and credits that low-income families receive often go toward paying housing costs. A recent Brookings Institution report indicates that about 30 percent of all Earned Income Tax Credits are used by low-income working families to pay for housing - making it one of the largest housing programs in the nation.

To learn more about Community Tax Centers, including our locations and operating hours, please visit the Community Tax Centers site.

 

 

Just a few years ago, Laura Velasquez was struggling with how to support herself and two children on her own. “My husband always made the bulk of the money,” Laura said. “When I got divorced, I was really down and out.”

But after she began saving in the Individual Development Account program, she took charge of her future. Laura opened two accounts – one to buy a house and one to attend college. After just two years living at Trails in the Park, she saved enough to buy a home and pay for school. She recently earned her B.A. in business management while working full-time. Her next move is to go for her master’s degree in public administration. “All of this was possible because FC took the time and money to invest in my family and me,” Laura says. “Words cannot express how thankful I am for this program.”