The Peru Gazette

The Adirondack Region Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Coalition recently completed a very successful income tax assistance program that proved extremely beneficial for many low to moderate income people throughout Clinton, Essex and Franklin Counties.

Kathy Snow, Director of Development of the United Way of the Adirondack Region, Inc. and chairperson of the EITC Coalition, reported that she had been informed by IRS representative, Kathy McNulty, that $6,640,749.00 in federal tax refunds have been secured for eligible residents this tax season. Of the total received from the refunds, $1,467,856.00 was Federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) dollars. The records indicate that 4,674 returns were prepared between all of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites in Clinton, Essex & Franklin Counties.

VITA sites were set up in all three counties to serve those seeking the free income tax filing service. In Clinton County, the Senior Citizens Council on North Catherine Street in Plattsburgh served as a site. It was the number 1 site in the Northeast Region. In Essex County, the Lake Placid Public Library, the Hand House and Hague Community Center served as sites and in Franklin County, the Mohawk Indian Housing Corporation, served as a site. Seacomm Federal Credit Union hosted a Super Saturday in Malone on February 4th, 2017 and UFirst Federal Credit Union in Plattsburgh hosted a Super Saturday on March 4th, 2017. Snow said, “The efforts of our Coalition are particularly important because we are helping individuals and families who really need the money. It’s good for them and it’s good for our economy.”

Members of the EITC Coalition are: United Way of the Adirondack Region, Inc., OneWorkSource, North Country Workforce Investment Board, Adirondack Community Action Programs, Inc. (ACAP), Senior Citizens Council of Clinton County, Office for the Aging, Department of Social Services, Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), Joint Council for Economic Opportunity Inc. (JCEO) American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), Ufirst Credit Union, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Family Welcome Center of CVES, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Champlain National Bank, Mohawk Indian Housing Corporation, North Country Commun