The Bucks County Opportunity Council (BCOC) offers free income tax preparation assistance for low-income residents through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA). IRS-certified volunteers prepare taxes for qualified residents through April 15, in five locations throughout the county: two in Bristol, Warminster, Quakertown, and Newtown. Individuals and families with a combined income of $64,000 or less may be eligible for the program.
BCOC volunteers make this program possible, dedicating nights and weekends to training and tax preparation. They attend training on various federal, state, and local tax laws, as well as tax credits aimed at low- and moderate-income families, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit, before taking an IRS-certification exam each year. Tax volunteers have prepared more than 18,000 returns for Bucks County families in the past 20 years, resulting in more than $34 million in refunds, tax credits, and saved preparation fees that stay in the local economy.
Additional volunteers help with scheduling and other administrative support. VITA is sponsored by the IRS and supported locally by Bucks County Foundation and First National Bank & Trust Co. of Newtown.
Appointments are required and are currently available to schedule. To request an appointment, visit VITA: Volunteer Income Tax Assistance – Bucks County Opportunity Council. For questions, please reach out to Danielle Bush, Volunteer and Community Connections Manager, at dbush@bcoc.org or call 215-345-8175 x209.
BCOC is the lead anti-poverty, non-profit organization in Bucks County, dedicated to ending poverty by connecting people with the resources they need to thrive.
BCOC has five major program areas: Housing, Food, Weatherization, Volunteer Income Tax Preparation (VITA) and the Economic Self-Sufficiency (ES) Program. Housing includes street outreach, rental and move in aid, and utility shut-off prevention. Food services supply food directly to families through a network of 74 food pantries and distribution sites. Weatherization services help families in reducing their energy costs. VITA provides free income tax preparation assistance. The ES Program assists individuals and families to leave poverty permanently through case management, education, and employment
For 60 years, the Opportunity Council has served low-income families in Bucks County by helping them to stabilize when in crisis, garner resources to achieve a livable wage, gain additional education and training, and work towards economic self-sufficiency.