Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 26, Number 3, 1 March 2009 — Hawaiian organizations providing free tax help [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Hawaiian organizations providing free tax help

By ī. Ilihia Giansan Publicatiūns Editar £ £~W"t'sestimatedthatover$45 I million (in unclaimed tax _m_credits) was left on the table by Hawai'i residents for the 2007 tax year," said Robin Puanani

Danner, president and chief executive officer of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement. In hopes of helping working families elaini more tax credits this year, CNHA is aniong the organizations partnering with the Aloha United Way's Lamily Self-

Sufficiency Program to provide free tax help to 'ohana earning up to $42,000. That's the cutoff for the federal Earned Ineome Tax Credit, one of the ways that Volunteer Ineome Tax Assistance sites statewide ean help put more cash back in the pockets of families. "Most times, the only thing standing between a family and a eheek for up to $4,824 is being aware of the program," Danner said of the Earned Ineome Tax Credit. To elaini the Earned Ineome Tax Credit, ineome and adjusted gross ineome for a married eouple must eaeh be less than $41,646 with two or more keiki, $36,995 with one keiki, or $15,880 with no keiki. For a single taxpayer, the limits are $38,646 with two or more keiki, $33,995 with one keiki, and $12,880 with no keiki. The niaximum credits for the 2008 tax year are $4,824 with two or more keiki, $2,917 with one keiki, and $438 with no keiki. CNHA and Alu Like's services are part of a larger effort led by

Aloha United Way to offer taxpreparation help for families. "It provides a service to middle- and low-ineome families, but also to people who may not ordinarily file their taxes. Some kūpuna don't have ineome, but if they file a tax return, they ean get refund,"

said Alan Do, coordinator for Alū Like's involvement in the VITA program. "It's a good service." For information on other groups providing similar services, and on where you ean receive their help, visit Aloha United Way's hawaiitaxhelp.org. ^

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'Most times, the only thing standing between a family and a eheek for up fo $4,824 is being aware of the program,' said CNHA president Robin Puanani Danner, referring to the Earned ineome Tax Credit. CNHA is one organization offering free tax help for families in an effort to bring more cash into Hawaiian households. - Photo lllustration: ī. Ilihia Gionson