Free tax help for Miami-Dade residents starts Friday

Free tax help for many Miami-Dade County residents starts Friday through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.

Miami-Dade County officials, the United Way of Miami-Dade and Miami Dade College are partnering to assist people in filing their taxes and claiming their refund before the April 18 tax deadline.

One point of emphasis: the Earned Income Tax Credit, a tax benefit for working people with low and moderate incomes. The Internal Revenue Service estimates that 17 percent of Miami-Dade residents who qualify for the credit aren’t claiming it, according to the United Way.

Miami-Dade County Commission Chairman Jean Monestime and United Way president and CEO Harve Mogul will hold a news conference at 10:15 a.m. Friday to discuss new initiatives that will encourage financial stability and planning for local residents. The meeting will be held in the Miami-Dade County Commission Chambers at Government Center, 111 NW First St., Miami.

Volunteers will be on hand afterward to help qualifying residents with their taxes.

Those eligible for assistance include people who make less than $54,000 per year, people with disabilities, seniors 60 and older, and non-English speakers. About 80 percent of Miami-Dade residents qualify under those guidelines.

Last year, the free tax program helped Miami-Dade residents receive more than $11.3 million in refunds and save more than $1.5 million in tax preparation fees, according to the United Way.

A list of sites where free help is available can be found at: https://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Free-Tax-Return-Preparation-for-You-by-Volunteers.

This story was originally published January 27, 2016 at 2:37 PM with the headline "Free tax help for Miami-Dade residents starts Friday."