James and Michelle found themselves in a difficult situation. They needed help filing both their 2014 and 2013 taxes and were concerned about what that might entail and how much they might owe.

Thankfully, their employer, Gallegos Sanitation, was a WorkLife Partnership member.

James and Michelle approached their WorkLife Navigator, Logan Jones, about their concerns. Logan, with the help of Harry Love, was able to help the couple file both years' taxes because of a partnership with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program that brings free tax preparation to WorkLife business members' employees.

“Preparing taxes is not something I consider within my comfort zone,” said Logan. “Yet, I do it because of getting to work with people like Harry who devote so much of their free time to serving others.”

Harry and Logan immediately notedthat there was a noticeable lack of withholdings on the couple's W-2s. With no dependents or deductions to help offset the liability, a hefty tax bill of $8,300 would be owed to the federal government. In addition, they discovered that a 2012 return had an unpaid balance making the grand total $9,009 owed to federal and state governments.

As VITA took care of the filing component, Logan began helping the couple with a debt repayment plan. He helped James and Michelle adjust their withholdings to prevent high tax debts in the future. Logan also worked with them to prioritize their bills so that the couple could arrange a monthly cash flow plan to create an ambitious timeline to pay off the entire amount owed by the end of 2015. To support this plan, the James and Michelle agreed to each work overtime, enabling them to pay off $1,728 to date.

Now that James and Michelle have a plan to pay off their debt, they are better able to focus on their jobs and be more productive at work.

Thanks to your support of United Way and our partners, including WorkLife Partnership and VITA, James and Michelle, and many others are getting the help they need to overcome financial hardships. Together, with these innovative partnerships, we are strengthening working families so that we maintain a strong workforce in Larimer County.

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WorkLife is a unique not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating socially sustainable communities and thriving workplaces in Colorado. Through partnerships with employers, WorkLife Partnership provides direct services and training to employees to help them overcome the barriers that keep them from getting to work, staying at work, and being productive at work. In 2015, WorkLife helped with 7 tax returns with a combined $4,736 in refunds.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance(VITA) is a nationwide IRS program designed to help low and moderate-income taxpayers complete their annual tax returns at no cost.VITA volunteers are trained and certified in tax law every year, using IRS-provided materials and standard tests. In 2014, VITA helped nearly 4,000 Lairmer County residents file their taxes with total refunds exceeding $3 million.

Published: June 2, 2015