VITA Procedures, Feb. 5-April 9, 2024
Important Location Info! Newton Public Library will be closed from March 4 to April 1 while we move to our new building! As a result, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) services will be provided at three different locations during the 2024 tax season:
- Feb. 5-March 2: Newton Public Library, 720 N. Oak Street
- March 4-28: Immanuel Baptist Church, 1515 N. Anderson Ave., Newton. Park in the back parking lot, off 15th Street, and enter the church through the rear door next to the parking lot.
- April 2-9: The new Newton Public Library in Military Park!
Those seeking free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) should follow these procedures:
1. Pick up a VITA packet at the library. (During the library’s closure, March 4-April 1, packets will be available for pickup at Immanuel Baptist Church during VITA volunteer hours only.) Remove your tax documents from their original mailing envelopes, staple any multi-page documents, and place everything in the VITA envelope. Fill out the interview sheet as completely as you can.
2. Return your packet to the VITA site and participate in a brief interview with a volunteer. Packets will be accepted only during VITA volunteer hours, listed below.
Tax Blitz Week, Feb. 5-10 at Newton Public Library, 720 N. Oak Street: Monday, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Tuesday, 9-12 & 1-5; Wednesday, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Regular volunteer hours, Feb. 13-April 9: Tuesdays, 9:30-12 & 1-5; Thursdays, 4-8 p.m.; Saturdays, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Note: The VITA site will change over the course of tax season! See above!)
3. You will be contacted via phone when your return is completed, and we will ask you to come to the VITA volunteer site for a review. This review, which generally takes no more than 5-10 minutes, must be completed before we can submit your return to the IRS for processing.
You may also be contacted via phone if questions arise during preparation of your tax return. During the interview, you will be asked to provide a phone number at which you can be reached. We will also ask if you prefer texting, and what time of day is best to contact you. Please be prepared to answer the phone when we call, or return our calls if we leave a message.
We will try to prepare all returns within two weeks after receiving a packet. If you do not hear from us within two weeks, please come to the library during the above times.
The deadline to submit a VITA packet is Tuesday, April 9, at 5 p.m.
Documents To Include with Your VITA Packet
VITA volunteers will interview each client upon reception of the client’s packet. We will help complete the interview sheet if necessary, and also will ensure that you have all documents that are needed to complete your tax return.
If we prepared your tax return last year, please bring last year’s packet.
If we have not prepared your taxes in the past, we will need a copy of a Social Security card for all taxpayers and dependents, and a copy of a photo ID (such as a Driver’s License) for all taxpayers. A copy machine is available at the VITA site, 10 cents per page. If VITA prepared your taxes last year, you should already have a copy of SS cards and photo IDs in your previous packet.
If you wish to utilize direct deposit for a refund or payment, please bring a voided check. A deposit slip does not always contain all needed information, so a voided check is necessary. (If we did your taxes last year, and your banking information has not changed, we can use the information from last year’s return.)
Although most of our clients will not itemize on their tax return, if you have records of charitable contributions and/or large medical payments, you may bring those documents as well. We will itemize your return if it proves advantageous to you to do so.
If you owned your home during 2023 and paid property tax, bring your property tax statement. We will determine if you are eligible for the Kansas Homestead Refund; if so, we will include the Homestead form in your return when we submit it.
Examples of tax documents that may be needed to complete your return include:
- W-2 form, which you should have received from each job you held last year
- 1099-INT, which lists interest earned from bank accounts
- 1099-DIV, which lists dividends earned from brokerage or other accounts
- 1099-B, which lists earnings from brokerage accounts, such as Vanguard or Edward Jones
- 1099-MISC, which contains earnings from miscellaneous income
- 1099-NEC, which contains earnings for self-employed or independent contractors
- 1099-G, which contains unemployment benefits
- 1099-R, which lists distributions from pensions or IRA distributions
- 1099-SA, which lists distributions from a Health Savings Account
- SSA-1099, which summarizes Social Security benefits
- RRB-1099, which summarizes Railroad benefits
- 1098-T, which lists tuition and scholarship information from an accredited institution
- Form 5498, which lists IRA contribution information
- Form 1098, which lists mortgage interest paid
- Form 1095-A, which contains health care coverage information
- Letter 6419, Total Advance Child Tax Credit Payments
These are examples of the most common tax documents. If you have other tax-related documents, bring them in and we will determine if they are necessary to complete your return.
Volunteer
New volunteers are always needed. Interested individuals may contact the Newton Public Library for this rewarding experience in assisting others.
Tax Forms
Library staff will assist patrons to print forms for ten cents per page. Unfortunately, free pre-printed tax forms are no longer available.
