Tax day is just two weeks away, but if you haven't got around to filing your papers just yet, don't stress — a number of free services in Brooklyn are here to help.
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites, where a certified volunteer will prepare your taxes for free, are spread across the borough’s neighborhoods and also offer their services online.
To use the VITA services, families with dependents must have earned $72,000 or less and individuals must have made $50,000 or less in 2021, according to the NYC Mayor's Office for Economic Opportunity.
Food Bank for New York City is one of the largest VITA providers in NYC, and Senior Vice President of Programs Zac Hall said the organization offered five types of progamming: in-person, virtual VITA, end-to-end virtual, self-prep in person and self-prep online.
Hall said filing taxes each year was something most people tended to put off until the last minute, and many spent hundreds of dollars on paid services to file when they are eligible for free tax services.
“For many people, tax season can create stress and confusion. As households continue to navigate the impacts of a global pandemic, and for those facing food insecurity and struggling to make ends meet, tax time can add additional worries about filing taxes — and, in many cases, paying for it too,” Hall said.
He added that free tax services like Food Bank offers provided high value refunds that were often the single largest check that many low income households received all year, and also showed families what tax credits they are eligible for. This year, he said there were lots of questions surrounding the Child Tax Credit, and he added for families to receive the full amount they were entitled to, they must file their returns.
For those using in-person VITA services, check the website of the location for documentation and vaccination requirements. Mask wearing and social distancing will be required at all sites. The deadline to file taxes is April 18, 2022.
Here are some of the free VITA tax preparation sites in Brooklyn (for a full list, click here):
Food Bank for NYC at Brooklyn Central Library
10 Grand Army Plaza Brooklyn NY 11238
- ADA Accessible: Yes
- Phone: (646) 981-6111
- Service Types: Assisted Self-Preparation
- Specialized Assistance: ITIN Non-CAA, Self-Employed/Schedule C Assistance
- Visit Types: By Appointment
- Languages: English
- Income Limit: $73,000 for all tax filers
Fedcap-Single Stop at Brooklyn College - Flatbush Library
22 Linden Blvd Brooklyn NY 11226
- ADA Accessible: Yes
- Phone: (800) 290-7189
- Service Types: In-Person
- Specialized Assistance: Prior Year Returns, Amended Returns, Self-Employed/Schedule C Assistance
- Visit Types: By Appointment
- Languages: English, Spanish
Grow Brooklyn at Brownsville Partnership
519 Rockaway Avenue Brooklyn NY 11212
- ADA Accessible: No
- Phone: (347) 682-5606
- Service Types: Drop off, Scanned Document Drop Off, Assisted Self-Preparation
- Specialized Assistance: ITIN Non-CAA, Amended Returns, Prior Year Returns, Self-Employed/Schedule C Assistance
- Visit Types: By Appointment
- Languages: English, Spanish
Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation at BSRC Fulton Street
1368 Fulton Street Brooklyn NY 11216
- ADA Accessible: Yes
- Phone: (929) 432-3314
- Service Types: Drop off, In-Person
- Specialized Assistance: Amended Returns, Prior Year Returns, Self-Employed/Schedule C Assistance
- Visit Types: By Appointment, Walk In
- Languages: English, Spanish
Food Bank for NYC at Center for Urban Community Services (Brooklyn VA)
800 Poly Place Brooklyn NY 11209 Room 310
- ADA Accessible: Yes
- Phone: (855) 932-2827
- Service Types: Scanned Document Drop Off
- Specialized Assistance: ITIN Non-CAA, Amended Returns, Prior Year Returns, Self-Employed/Schedule C Assistance
- Visit Types: By Appointment
- Languages: English
- Income Limit: Individuals without dependents: $60,000, Families with dependents: $60,000
Food Bank For NYC at Christian Cultural Center
120-20 Flatlands Avenue Brooklyn NY 11207
- ADA Accessible: Yes
- Phone: (718) 306-1000
- Service Types: Drop off
- Specialized Assistance: ITIN Non-CAA, Amended Returns, Prior Year Returns, Self-Employed/Schedule C Assistance
- Visit Types: In-Person
- Languages: English Site
- Notes: REMOTE ONLY
- Income Limit: Individuals without dependents: $60,000, Families with dependents: $60,000
1523 Avenue M Brooklyn NY 11230 3 rd Floor
- ADA Accessible: Yes
- Phone: (718) 377-2900 ext: 331
- Service Types: Drop off, Assisted Self-Preparation, In-Person
- Specialized Assistance: Amended Returns, Prior Year Returns, Self-Employed/Schedule C Assistance
- Visit Types: By Appointment
Grow Brooklyn at Cypress Hill Local Development Corp
2966 Fulton Street Brooklyn NY 11208
- ADA Accessible: No
- Phone: (347) 682-5606
- Service Types: Scanned Document Drop Off
- Specialized Assistance: ITIN Non-CAA, Amended Returns, Prior Year Returns, Self-Employed/Schedule C Assistance
- Visit Types: By Appointment
- Languages: Chinese - Cantonese, English, French, Russian, Spanish
Food Bank for NYC at Good Shepherd Services (Schenck)
876 Schenck Avenue Brooklyn NY 11207 2nd Floor
- ADA Accessible: Yes
- Phone: (718) 346-2200 ext: 20104
- Service Types: Drop off, Scanned Document Drop Off
- Specialized Assistance: ITIN Non-CAA, Amended Returns, Prior Year Returns, Self-Employed/Schedule C Assistance
- Visit Types: By Appointment
- Languages: English, Spanish
- Income Limit: Individuals without dependents: $60,000, Families with dependents: $60,000
