Views from the Northwest Bronx

Hardworking Mom Avoids Extra Fees

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Rhonda is a single mom of a young adult and works at an agency that helps people with disabilities.  Rhonda paid over $300 last year at Jackson Hewitt for a rapid refund loan and tax fees. She avoided that money trap this year when a work friend told her she could file her taxes for free at UNHP.  Rhonda qualified for the Earned Income Tax credit and is looking forward to her $4,500 refund to catch up on bills, purchase needed items for her home and save for her son’s education.  Rhonda was pleased with the services at UNHP, “I will definitely return next year”

Working low-income Bronx residents with children are often eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit.  Because they can get sizable returns- sometimes 1/2 or a 1/3 of their yearly income -they are targeted by fee for service tax sites for high interest refund loans.  Through our financial education programs and tax outreach, UNHP seeks to inform Bronx residents that these refund loans are a high cost waste of money.  E-filing at fee-free sites saves money and results in a fast refund too.