With the holiday season in full swing, many people are turning their thoughts to what comes after: tax season. United Way of South Central Michigan (UWSCMI) announced that it will hold free tax preparation clinics in early 2026 and is recruiting volunteers now to help those clinics run smoothly.
“Every year, thousands of individuals leave money on the table because they don’t have access to trusted, affordable tax preparation,” said Krystal Marshall, Director of UWSCMI’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. “VITA uses IRS-certified preparers who help individuals and families keep more money in their pockets and claim credits like the Home Heating Credit, Earned Income Credit and Child Tax Credit, to name a few,” Marshall added. “There are many changes coming in the new year, and we want communities to know that VITA is here to help.”
Marshall said the VITA clinics rely on volunteers in several roles to serve as many eligible
households as possible. That means now is the time to recruit volunteers.
“We have a place for everyone who wants to volunteer. Some volunteers train to be IRS-certified to
assist with tax returns. Others help greet clients and make sure people move through the process
easily,” said Marshall. “Volunteers are the lifeblood of our program. We can’t do this work without
them.”
Volunteers must be 16 years of age or older. Roles include greeters, intake specialists, tax
preparers (whom VITA trains for the tax clinics), interpreters, quality reviewers and site
coordinators. Volunteers can sign up by calling (877) 337-1780 or emailing vitainfo@uwscmi.org.
VITA offers free, accurate, confidential and secure tax preparation. Services include traditional
onsite, in-person preparation; virtual Scan-and-Go preparation; facilitated self-assistance; and a
mobile unit serving the Lansing area.
Households eligible for VITA are those with income at or below $69,000, including individuals,
families, seniors, persons with disabilities, and limited-English speaking taxpayers. Clinics run
during February, March and April in locations throughout Kalamazoo, Clinton, Eaton, Ingham and
Shiawassee counties. Clinic sign-ups begin Jan. 20, when taxpayers can call 2-1-1 for a full list of
locations, hours and appointments.
According to Marshall, the UWSCMI VITA program served 5,150 households during the 2025 tax
season, filing 5,378 federal and 5,444 state returns. This resulted in nearly $7.5 million in refunds
and $1.6 million saved on tax preparation fees—dollars that stayed in local communities
supporting day-to-day living and essential needs.
To learn more about UWSCMI’s VITA program, go to https://vitataxprep.org.
