United Way of Denton County announced the 11th consecutive year of return growth for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program for tax year 2018 with 1,552 returns filed with tax credits totaling $2.1 million for hard-working Denton County taxpayers. 
Seventy volunteers committed a total of 1,956 hours for training, client intake, and tax preparation to help neighbors earning no more than $58,000 file their federal income taxes accurately and for free at nine sites located across Denton County in the following municipalities: Corinth, Denton, Lake Dallas, Lewisville, Little Elm, Pilot Point, and Sanger.
“These volunteers are the backbone of VITA,” said Gary Henderson, President and CEO of United Way of Denton County. “Their hard work and dedication saved Denton County taxpayers an estimated $420,000 in unnecessary filing fees while returning over $2 million back to the Denton County economy.”
VITA serves the gamut of clients from students, to struggling families with children, to seniors. Clients over age 60 saw a 53% increase in returns filed in just two years.
“We get lots of widows coming in who for the very first time in their life have to deal with taxes by themselves,” shared VITA volunteer John Hoose. “I’m just happy we’re there to help them.”
The VITA program, created by the IRS and implemented by United Way of Denton County, has shown steady growth since filing 28 returns for $14,228 in refunds for the 2007 tax year.