The Gateway EITC Community Coalition needs volunteers to help greet, interview and prepare taxes for low income and elderly residents from late January through April 15, 2010 at various locations in the region (including Illinois).

Trainings take place during January 2010 at various times and locations throughout St. Louis City, St. Louis County and Illinois. Greeter, intake and tax preparer volunteers must attend one certification training in order to help. You must register for the trainings in advance. To find out more, contact GECC partner United Way at 314-539-4062 or email info@gecc.us.

The purpose of the Coalition is to offer free Earned Income Tax Credit preparation and education to low income residents in the metropolitan area.

Last year, 180 Gateway EITC Community Coalition volunteers prepared more than 5,500 federal tax returns in the area, resulting in more than $6 million in refunds. Volunteers saved families more than $1 million in paid tax preparation fees. Volunteers do not need to be accountants to help.

Greeters are expected to talk with a variety of people and ensuring the taxpayer has all the necessary information with him or her to have their return completed on site. This volunteer position is asking for at least a 16 hour volunteer time commitment that includes one four-hour training and at least two six-hour Saturdays January – April.

Intake volunteers will assist the taxpayer in completing the interview sheet and transfer the paperwork to a tax preparer. This volunteer position is asking for at least a 24 hour volunteer time commitment that includes one 12-hour tax law training and at least two six-hour Saturdays January – April.

Tax preparers will prepare federal and state tax returns electronically. People with some tax knowledge and computer skills are helpful. This volunteer position is asking for at least a 24 hour volunteer time commitment that includes one 12-hour tax law training and at least two six-hour Saturdays January – April.

The GECC estimates that 58 percent of low-to-moderate income families or working poor in this community pay an average of $267 for tax preparation, refund anticipation loans, electronic filing fees and check cashing fees. This results in an additional combined financial drain of more than $30 million for these local families.

GECC is a public/private partnership working to bring unclaimed EITC refunds to low-income individuals and families in the St. Louis region and is made up of 20 member organizations. United Way of Greater St. Louis is a key partner in the coalition providing information and referral to all free income tax sites in the St. Louis region through its 2-1-1 call center, office space and administrative support.