Free tax assistance available

This tax season there’s an option available that wasn’t before: Have your kids prepare your taxes and e-file them for free with the IRS.

No kidding.

For the first time this year, Gladys Porter High School is sponsoring a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance site, with trained and certified student volunteers doing the intake, tax preparation and filing.

VITA tax preparation has been around for at least the last 10 years. It provides free income tax preparation and filing for low- to moderate-income individuals with earned income under $49,000.

"People need to bring the same things you normally need to do your taxes," site coordinator and business teacher Albert Velez said. "The students actually input all the information, review, verify and submit it electronically. If you go with direct deposit, you’re looking at a two-week turnaround to get your money if you’re owed a refund."

The students work under Velez’s supervision, preparing returns using Tax Wise, a Web-based tax software preferred by the IRS. Once they’re trained and certified, they’re granted a user account, password and go to work.

Miriam Mares, a senior business student and volunteer said it’s "hard to learn all of the terms at first but, as you keep doing it, you learn all of the vocabulary that goes along with it." She said it helps for people to bring along last year’s return if they have it.

At the site’s grand opening on Wednesday, several people already were getting their taxes done. The site is open from 4:30-7 p.m. Wednesdays through Feb. 24.

Students at Los Fresnos also have been trained and certified as VITA volunteers. Their service is available from 6-9 p.m. on Wednesdays through Feb. 24 at the Whipple Library, 402 W. Ocean Blvd., in Los Fresnos.

Other VITA sites include:

ä The Brownsville Public Utilities Board, 1425 Robinhood Drive, from 5:30-8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays through Feb. 25

ä The UTB-TSC ITEC Center, 301 Mexico Blvd., from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on Saturdays through April 15

ä The Community Development Corp. of Brownsville, 901 E. Levee St., from 6-8 p.m. on Thursdays through March 25

ä The Port Isabel Public Library, 213 N. Yturria St., from 6-9 p.m. Monday-Friday through Feb. 22

ä The Start Center, 743 N. Sam Houston Blvd. in San Benito, from 1-7 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and from 1-4 p.m. on Thursdays.