As the price of household goods and services continues to rise, many families are faced with difficult spending choices each day. With Tygart Valley United Way’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, one less burden is taken off their shoulders.
For the 2025 filing season, the TVUW VITA program provided free tax services to 1,286 households. That’s an increase of almost 400 returns from the previous year. For West Virginians, maximizing this year’s tax refund is crucial and can help a household survive. 43 IRS-trained and certified volunteers ensured taxpayers received all the credits for which they were eligible and helped put over $1.3 Million back into the pockets of residents.
“We were excited to see many new and returning faces this tax season,” said Casey Gilbert, Community Impact Director. “It means a lot to know that our community sees the VITA program as a trusted and valuable resource for such an important part of their financial wellbeing.”
With the support of a federal IRS VITA grant, the organization was able to add new partner sites and serve more taxpayers. The sites saw West Virginians from across 13 counties throughout the North-Central region. The program is offered annually from January through Tax Day to assist families and individuals with low to moderate incomes prepare their tax returns for free. With no cost to clients, households could save an average of $350 in tax preparation fees, amounting to over $450,100 saved.
“Receiving tax refunds and eligible credits is a critical financial need for families and individuals alike,” added Gilbert.
The site prepared and filed a total of 1,286 state and federal tax returns, with an average refund of $1,876 per household. Residents received $211,376 in Earned Income Tax Credits, $141,868 in Child Tax Credits, and $15,619 in Education Tax Credits. While many families are counting every penny to pay for essentials, they can now use this money to purchase groceries, cover rent or mortgage payments, or rebuild emergency savings.
This program would not be possible without the support of partners, including investment partners: IRS, EQT Foundation, and Huntington Banks.
Program Partners that helped make the program a success were: AmeriCorps NCCC, Mountaineer Area Council BSA, Huntington Banks, MVB Bank, West Virginia University, Barbour County Community Garden Market, Five Rivers Public Library, Taylor County Senior Center, Randolph County Senior Center, Freedom Bank, Truist Bank, Get Your Refund, and WesBanco.
The program was thrilled to launch a new bank partner program saw five banks join the cause: MVB, Huntington, WesBanco, Freedom, and Truist.
If you would like to learn more about becoming a VITA volunteer or sponsor, please contact Nathan Terry, Program Manager at (304) 366-4550, Ext 108 or email nathan@tvunitedway.org.