VITA TAX HELP SITESCLEVELANDBradley Baptist Association, 2707 North Ocoee St.Open: Monday, Tuesday,Thursday and Friday 4:30 to 8 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.;By appointment only: 423-476-5493Cleveland Community Center, 1334 Church St. SEOpen: Tuesday 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Wednesday 2 to 5 p.m.; Thursday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Walk-in siteK-Mart at Bradley Square Mall, 200 Paul Huff ParkwayOpen: Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Walk-in siteLee University, 1120 North Ocoee St.Open: Friday 2:30-5:30 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to noonWalk-in siteBrainerd Recreation Center, 1010 N. Moore RoadOpen: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Walk-in siteCHATTANOOGAChurch Koinonia Federal Credit Union, 2319 East 23rd St.Open: Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 4 p.mBy appointment only: 423-629-5400Consumer Credit Counseling, 2245 Olan Mills Dr.Open: Thursday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.By appointment only: 423-490-5620Eastgate Mall, 5600 Brainerd RoadOpen: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 10 a.m to 6 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Walk-in siteGolden Gateway, 1201 Grove St.Open: Wednesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.Walk-in siteSt. Andrews Center, 1918 Union Ave., Spanish siteOpen: Monday, Tuesday and Friday 4 p.m to 6 p.mWalk-in siteLone Oak Community Center, 1278 U.S. Highway 127Open: Monday through ThursdayBy appointment only: 423-280-1394Northgate Mall, 271 Northgate Mall,Open: Monday 1 to 6 p.m.; Wednesday 12-4 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Walk-in siteNorthside Neighborhood House, 211 Minor St.Open: Monday, Tuesday, ThursdayBy appointment only: 423-267-2217Soddy-Daisy Senior Center, 190 Depot St.Open: Tuesdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.By appointment only: 423-332-1702Urban League of Greater Chattanooga, 730 E M.L. King Blvd.Open: Tuesday and Thursday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.Walk-in site
Chattanooga area residents can now visit one of 15 locations in the region to have their tax returns prepared for free, and organizers of the local Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program opened a new Spanish-speaking center this year.
The new location, at St. Andrews Center in Chattanooga, will focus on Spanish-speaking filers but will operate like any other site: offering free tax help to taxpayers whose household income was less than $51,000 in 2012.
“There’s a large Hispanic population in Chattanooga, and we want to reach out to them,” said Val Palmer, area coordinator of the VITA program at the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga. “We’ll be saving a lot of money for them.”
Every year, Palmer organizes a small army of volunteers to help area residents prepare and file their returns for free. Last year, she worked with 60 volunteers and filed 6,200 returns. That’s about $8 million in refunds for area filers.