Town of Babylon Councilmen Terry McSweeney and DuWayne Gregory joined Rebecca Sanin, President/CEO of the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island (HWCLI), to continue a tax preparation program to provide for individuals that make less than $56,000 a year. The announcement was made at the HWCLI’s offices in Huntington Station. Town Clerk Gerry Compitello was also in attendance.
The Virtual Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program gives individuals who meet the income requirements the opportunity for free tax assistance, rather than seeking help from companies who regularly charge high rates for the same service with minimal returns. Evaluations are prepared off-site and returned to participants within a matter of days.
According to Sanin, many individuals who qualify for VITA are also eligible to receive the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which paid out tens of billions of dollars across the country in recent years.
Town Clerk Gerry Compitello helped coordinate the partnership between the Town of Babylon and HWCLI in 2018. She cites her past work with senior residents as the inspiration to provide them with a free, comprehensive service like VITA.
To learn more about the program schedule or requirements, call HWCLI at (516) 483-1110 and visit http://www.hwcli.com.