DeLauro Visits New VITA Site and Warns of Prevalent Tax Scams
NEW HAVEN, CT (January 21, 2016) — Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) today visited a new Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site at Brookside Estates in New Haven to provide information on the availability of VITA sites for tax preparation and to raise awareness of scam efforts associated with the income-tax filing season. As the time for filing federal tax returns nears, DeLauro’s office has received increasing complaints from constituents about harassing phone calls from individuals claiming to be agents with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
“Filing taxes can be a challenging process for a variety of reasons. However, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly program are available to help residents across Connecticut this tax season. VITA strengthens communities by helping families to secure refunds and credits that they have earned, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit, money that is often reinvested in local businesses,” said Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro.
“Timely and complete tax filing helps our country continue to run essential programs in every state. It is disturbing to hear of criminal scams intended to take advantage of people just trying to do the right thing—like IRS phone scams that spike during the season leading up to tax filing deadlines,” continued DeLauro. “My office has received numerous complaints from constituents about these scams, and it is important to take action and protect your information.”
At today’s event, DeLauro was joined by Deputy Commissioner Michelle Seagull of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, as well as Jennifer McGrady Heath, Executive Vice President of the United Way of Greater New Haven, Jim Horan, Executive Director of the Connecticut Association for Human Services, and Takima Robinson, VITA program site coordinator for Brookside Estates. Following the press conference, volunteers canvassed the Brookside neighborhood with information about the VITA program.
The VITA program offers free tax help to people who generally make $54,000 or less, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and limited English speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals. In the 2016 budget, DeLauro helped secure a $3 million dollar increase to the VITA grant program, bringing the total funding up to $15 million and giving more Americans access to this program. Last tax season, volunteers provided free assistance to over 35,000 taxpayers in Connecticut, at 180 conveniently located sites. A full list of VITA sites is available on the IRS’s website, www.irs.gov.
During the event, DeLauro also raised awareness of common IRS phone scams, which usually start with a phone call from a criminal posing as an IRS employee. Scammers often dig up just enough information to sound legitimate, such as the last four digits of a social security number or an address. They may also employ “caller ID spoofing” to make it look like the call is coming from the IRS. A real IRS agent will never ask for a credit card number over the phone, nor will they threaten with arrest or discipline.
The IRS estimates that since 2013, over 4,000 victims have lost more than $23 million to tax scams. If you think you are the target of an IRS phone scam, hang up the phone and report the incident on the IRS website, www.irs.gov. Additionally, if you are unsure if you owe taxes, call the IRS directly and they will assist you.
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