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Free tax-prep help finds new audience
The Pinellas County Wealth-Building Coalition offers the service at three community centers.
By JON WILSON
Published March 8, 2006
ST. PETERSBURG - Asian residents are coming in greater numbers to a free tax-preparation program - and the rush hasn't begun yet.
"This is our third year as a site," said Caroline Le, executive director of the Asian Neighborhood Family Center.
"Every year, it pretty much doubles or triples. "The first year we had about 60, last year, maybe 155 or 160. This year, we're in the second week of March, and we estimate we've served about 150."
With more than five weeks remaining until the April 17 income tax filing deadline, Le said she expects a last-minute influx of clients.
"Usually, we get a lot more procrastinators," she said.
The program at the center, 1801 62nd Ave. N, is one of three in St. Petersburg specially geared toward low- and moderate-income residents.
The others are at the James B. Sanderlin Neighborhood Family Center, 2335 22nd Ave. S, and the Enoch Davis Center, 1111 18th Ave. S.
The services are part of the Pinellas County Wealth-Building Coalition, and the wealth element is one point of the tax-preparation program.
IRS-certified tax preparers try to help clients determine if they are eligible for tax credits, and therefore refunds, that they don't know about.
Special effort is being made to reach out to Asian and Hispanic families, say Wealth-Building Coalition leaders, and to assuage fears about dealing with government and banking matters that may seem unfamiliar.
Le said the tax-preparation service also has been a means to introduce people to other programs the Asian Neighborhood Family Center offers, both for adults and young people.
The tax service is available at the center from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays.
The service is available at the Sanderlin Center 4 to 6 p.m. Mondays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays.
And at the Enoch Davis center, the service is available from 1 to 4 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
[Last modified March 8, 2006, 01:42:19]
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