D.C. Tax Preparers at Norton Press Conference Saturday will tell Residents How to Pay Taxes Free of Charge

Washington DC – At a Saturday press conference at 11:00 a.m. overlooking the D.C. Tax and Financial Services Fair, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton and local IRS-certified tax preparers will explain their efforts to assure that no resident who cannot afford it has to go to a commercial tax preparer. Saturday morning's free tax service is available only to D.C. residents. The annual Norton tax fair at the Washington Convention Center, 10 a.m.-noon this year features free tax preparers from volunteer IRS (VITA) sites throughout the city. Representing the preparers at the press conference will be Teresa Heinz, Executive Director, Community Tax Aid, who represents eight sites throughout the city; Gerard Pieger, D.C. local Tax Advocate, who helps residents who have tax issues with the IRS; Lee Davenport, Director of MyFreeTaxes.com, who teach residents how to prepare simple returns, and Eva M. Liggins, Director of Customer Service for the DC Office of Tax and Revenue.

"The VITA sites participating in our tax fair prepare the taxes for low- and modest- income residents, unemployed residents, seniors and students throughout the tax season," said Norton. "Saturday's tax fair will not only prepare taxes for residents free of charge, it will introduce residents to free services many do not know are available to them throughout the season in their own neighborhoods. The federal government insists upon taking taxes without representation from our residents, but whenever possible we mean to see to it that they do not have to pay to pay." In addition to tax preparation the Tax and Financial Services Fair offers several financial services with advice from OSSE/DC Tag education program, College Savings Organization, Department of Insurance Securities and Banking, Department of Commerce Federal Credit Union, DC Government Employees Federal Credit Union, UDC and AU Tax clinics, and IRS Tax Advocacy.

VITA sites and non-profit organizations participating in the tax fair are AARP Foundation, Community Tax Aid VITA Site, DC Government Federal Credit Union VITA Site, DC Tax and Revenue Service, George Washington University Tax Clinic, MyFreeTaxes.com, University of the District of Columbia, and IRS Tax Advocate. They are also members of Norton's Tax and Financial Advisory Committee, which advises the Congresswoman on tax issues and changes that affect tax payers in the District of Columbia.

Published: Februray 8, 2012