What Is VITA?
United Way's Financial Empowerment Zone (FEZ) provides free tax preparation services, case management help with enrollment in income supports and financial literacy workshops to increase the financial stability among lower-income working families in Passaic County.
Our goal is to increase the number of families who can meet their basic needs and increase their financial stability.
During tax season, United Way of Passaic County works with community partners and IRS-certified volunteers to offer free Passaic and Bergen Counties tax preparation sites. Beginning each February, we assist low-and-moderate-income households with income tax preparation. The earned income tax credit helps to lift more families out of poverty each year around tax filing season. EIC rewards the working poor and puts money back into the clients' hands, and therefore the community.
Services provided:
- Federal and State Income Tax Preparation
- Assistance with New Jersey Property Tax Reimbursement (Senior Freeze) and Homestead Benefit forms
- Screening and Enrollment for Health Insurance
- Screening and Enrollment for SNAP/WIC/School Meals/Summer EBT
- Referral and assistance with FAFSA
VITA 2025 Impact:
To date during the 2025 tax season, VITA sites managed by the UWPC completed 1,514 tax returns for low to moderate income families generating $1,422,937 in total federal refunds for clients, this represents a 10% increase from 2024 services.
Nearly half of the federal refunds these clients received this year were a result of income stabilizing federal credits that could only be accessed through the completion of a tax return.
This includes $427,161 in Earned Income Tax Credit, $187,810 in child tax credit and $74,936 education credit. In addition to federal returns the VITA site completed NJ state returns that generated $517,778 in state refunds, nearly half of which ($220,925) was NJ state earned income tax credit.
Our VITA sites are now closed.
Please check back for information January 2026.
Importance of VITA |
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