Taxes are hard enough when you grow up in the United States and are used to filing year after year. But imagine how much more daunting they become when you’re a first-time tax filer, when you don’t speak the language—and when your immigration status can hinge on it.
Elkis and Rossana moved to the United States from Venezuela with their son, who just turned three. Elkis works for Walmart, and his wife works for a hotel in downtown Atlanta. Last month, they received their first tax forms, a rite of passage for every American employee—citizen or not.
“In my country of origin, I worked for a long time as an accountant. I’m a professional,” Elkis shared. Despite his background, the family was worried about getting their paperwork sorted before April 15.
Since arriving in Atlanta, they have both held multiple jobs. He wasn’t sure that the tax withholdings on Rossana’s paychecks were correct. But since this was their family’s first time filing in the U.S., they didn’t know where to turn.
“Even if you speak English, taxes are not easy,” said Emma Markette, who leads workforce development support for new American families at Catholic Charities. “There’s a complete lack of knowledge that, combined with a lot of fear, makes it an intimidating process. Not to mention that it’s tied into their immigration, safety and security of their future. Tax services are an area of predation in a lot of communities. When money is involved, predators will follow.”
A no-cost solution for hardworking families
United Way of Greater Atlanta’s VITA program offers no-cost filing locations all across Greater Atlanta to help first-time filers and families like Rossana and Elkis get advice and file taxes free of charge without fear of predatory fees. Our VITA team brought a mobile tax preparation site to Catholic Charities to serve their clients.
>> LEARN MORE: Free tax services open across Greater Atlanta
The family sat down with Mr. Joie, a retired IRS tax professional who now volunteers his services to the community at no cost through VITA.
He and the other VITA team members worked with Elkis and Rossana for an hour and a half, sorting out their W-2s and making sure that they received credits they were eligible for. And in the end, the family qualified for an unexpected refund.
They plan to spend it on classes so Elkis can pursue a certification in business management or accounting here in the United States.
“We are so lucky to get this type of assistance. For people who need to do a tax declaration for the first time, this is a wonderful and marvelous experience,” he said. “I will recommend this as the best option for those of us who don’t have the resources to pay a professional tax advisor.”
Setting first-time filers up for financial self-sufficiency
Programs like VITA are essential because they create opportunities with trusted advisors for families to ask questions, make informed choices, and gain skills to set their own families up for a strong future.
“With VITA, you have the best of the best,” said Emma, who also had her taxes filed at the Catholic Charities VITA event. “I truly feel their work demonstrates a desire to make this so easy for everyone. And to do that with a newcomer is something that could set someone up to completely change their relationship to this particular aspect of their life in a really different way.”
Removing barriers to filing taxes has the potential to set a family on a path to financial self-sufficiency—just like it did for Elkis and Rosanna’s. When families can file safely, confidently, and affordably, they’re able to take the next step toward a stronger future. Each year, our VITA program helps 11,000+ families do exactly that, serving low-income families, non-English speakers, and seniors throughout Greater Atlanta.
We can’t continue this work without the help of our community. You can support the VITA program by volunteering your time (no accounting experience necessary for several roles) or by donating to our programs that give families the tools to reach financial freedom.