POVERTY IN UTAH IS REAL.

Transcription

1 Utah s statewide campaign to strengthen family financial stability through utilization of the Earned Income Tax Credit, free tax preparation, and asset formation programs A N N U A L REPORT

2 2014 ANNUAL REPORT TAX YEAR 2013 MISSION Community Action Partnership of Utah leads, strengthens, and supports the Community Action Network in order to build thriving communities and end poverty. Community Action Partnership of Utah leads the Earn it. Keep it. Save it. coalition. Community Action Partnership of Utah 230 South 500 West Suite 260 Salt Lake City, Utah UtahTaxHelp.org I caputah.org Earn It. Keep It. Save It. Program Director: Kate Rubalcava Layout and Design: Boss Graphic Design Studio 2014 Community Action Partnership of Utah. Earn It. Keep It. Save It. a special thanks to... Ally Bank, American Express Center for Community Development, Citi, GE Capital Bank, Internal Revenue Service and their Utah SPEC team, National Disability Institute, Samaritan Technologies, Synchrony Bank, United Way of Salt Lake, Utah State Community Services Office, Wells Fargo, and Zions Bank for their ongoing partnership in this project and for providing core financial support for Earn It. Keep It. Save It. Earn It. Keep It. Save It. is a collaborative effort that would not be possible without the dedication, hard work and passion of the regional coordinators in each region across the state. They inspire their volunteers, encourage clients to return year after year, and work tirelessly in their own communities to ensure that Utah tax filers have access to such a wonderful program. Also a special thanks to the hundreds of volunteers who prepare taxes, distribute and collect client surveys, and to Dr. Jason Castillo who works to analyze our data so that we can tell this story. An initiative of and dozens of community partners.

3 WHO WE ARE & WHAT WE DO SUCCESS STORIES 2/ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3/ EARN IT. KEEP IT. SAVE IT. 4/ REGIONAL SUCCESS 5/ WHO WE SERVE 6/ OUR IMPACT - IN WORDS 7/ OUR IMPACT - IN WORDS (CONTINUED) TABLE OF CONTENTS 8/ BOX ELDER, CACHE, AND RICH COUNTIES 9/ SUMMIT, WASATCH, AND UTAH COUNTIES REGIONAL SUMMARIES OUTREACH, VOLUNTEERS, & OUR PARTNERS 10/ WEBER COUNTY 11/ DAVIS AND MORGAN COUNTIES 12/ SALT LAKE AND TOOELE COUNTIES 13/ Financial Integration / USEED 14/ MILLARD, JUAB, SANPETE, SEVIER, PIUTE, AND WAYNE COUNTIES 15/ BEAVER, IRON, WASHINGTON, GARFIELD, AND KANE COUNTIES 16/ CARBON, EMERY, GRAND AND SAN JUAN COUNTIES 17/ DAGGETT, DUCHESNE, AND UINTAH COUNTIES 18/ VOLUNTEERS MATTER 19/ OUTREACH EFFORTS 20/ OUR PARTNERS 1

4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ANOTHER remarkable year for... has passed and our success is highly dependent on a myriad of factors. It involves providing our clients with a quality service, having amazing partners and volunteers across the state, and a strong statewide coalition dedicated to making this work happen. strong financial integration project linking tax filers with valuable resources in the community. In fact, over 900 referrals were made to partner agencies that can assist our clients with things like credit counseling, Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion, and down payment assistance. I am thrilled to report that 59% of our clients came back to us this year which is up 10% from the previous year! As I read the stories our clients shared this season, I discovered that people return because they trust us, believe in us, and they know we are here to provide a quality service. Our clients also have a good pulse on the makings of a solid financial future. Of those clients who completed a survey, 70% of them maintain a regular budget and have a savings account. Eighty-seven percent of them pay their bills on time and 36% save or invest each paycheck. Ninety percent of them do not have credit card debt in excess of $7,000 and 100% of them intend to invest in education in the next twelve months. The strong partnerships we have are fabulous! Over 800 volunteers contributed nearly 30,000 hours in service and over 80 free tax sites were hosted in community buildings, libraries, institutions of higher education, and municipal buildings. Possessing that kind of capital is humbling because it means that we are operating in concert with one another to serve our neighbors near and far. Salt Lake County has also rolled out its second year of a We do this work twelve months out of the year. If we re not preparing taxes or setting up sites, we are recruiting volunteers, writing grants, and checking in with our partners. It is meaningful work that impacts thousands of people in Utah. I am also happy to announce that we have secured funding to expand our financial integration work in the Six County region and funding to hire a full time Regional Coordinator in the Uintah Basin! I am excited to share this annual report with you and I hope you match my enthusiasm when I say our clients are amazing, our volunteers remarkable, and our partners are generous. Cheers to Earn it. Keep it. Save it. and to you for helping it all become a reality! Kate Rubalcava Earn It. Keep It. Save It. Program Director 2

5 The mission of Earn It. Keep It. Save It. is to build partnerships to strengthen family financial stability through utilization of the Earned Income Tax Credit, free tax preparation, and asset formation programs The approach of Earn It. Keep It. Save It. is to serve low to moderate income individuals in Utah in three ways... Earn It. refers to the first step of Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) outreach, education and advocacy. Keep It. refers to the core component of providing free tax preparation through Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and free online filing. Save It. is the final building block to move families from living paycheck to paycheck to financial stability by providing access and information to resources. Each aspect creates a stable and long-term path for families out of poverty. Through the work of Earn It. Keep It. Save It., the needs of local communities are met by making sure families are receiving not only what they have earned but also the support they need to lift themselves out of poverty. FUNDING B R E A K D O W N FEDERAL FUNDING $76,800 STATE FUNDING $143,100 LOCAL GRANTS $203,000 NATIONAL GRANTS $20,500 TOTAL $443,400 Free tax preparation is offered through the following modes: Virtual VITA utilizes technology so that clients located in rural or difficult to access communities can have their taxes completed without leaving their community. All they have to do is visit a designated VITA Intake Center and an intake volunteer will help them connect virtually to have their taxes prepared. The computer and the internet are utilized to facilitate the conversation between the client and the volunteer tax preparer. - OR - A traditional VITA site is perhaps the most popular model. With this model a client visits a designated VITA site located in his or her own community. There they are matched with volunteer tax preparer that will prepare their taxes for them. - OR - Facilitated Self Assistance, (FSA) also known as MyFreeTaxes, utilizes an easy to navigate web-based software that only requires internet access, an address, and a computer. Taxes can be prepared out of the comfort of people s homes or in computer labs on college campuses, community libraries or at your family s next spring party! 3

6 REGIONAL SUCCESS ECONOMIC IMPACT RETURNS 328 TOTAL REFUNDS $423,732 RETURNS 1,325 TOTAL REFUNDS $1,926,466 VOLUNTEERS USED 78 Box Elder Tooele RETURNS 5,802 TOTAL REFUNDS $7,651,511 VOLUNTEERS USED 265 Juab Davis Cache Weber Salt Lake Morgan Utah Rich Summit Wasatch RETURNS 2,432 TOTAL REFUNDS $3,306,055 VOLUNTEERS USED 113 Duchesne Carbon RETURNS 1,385 TOTAL REFUNDS $2,130,333 VOLUNTEERS USED 78 Daggett Uintah RETURNS 3,492 TOTAL REFUNS $5,154,854 VOLUNTEERS USED 136 RETURNS 11 TOTAL REFUNDS $6,991 VOLUNTEERS USED 3 VOLUNTEERS USED 20 Millard Sanpete Emery Grand Sevier RETURNS 530 RETURNS 2,963 TOTAL REFUNDS $4,922,023 VOLUNTEERS USED 120 Beaver Iron Piute Garfield Wayne San Juan TOTAL REFUNDS $649,166 VOLUNTEERS USED 23 Washington Kane 4

7 WHO W E S E R V E A N N U A L L Y MARITAL STATUS ETHNICITY GENDER Single 56% Married/Joint 29% African American/Black 3% Am. Indian/Native Am. 4% Female 56% Male 44% WHO WE SERVE Married/Separate 1% Head of Household 13% Asian/Pacific Islander 5% Caucasian/White 68% Hispanic/Latino/a 17% Other 3% QUICK STATS Average age 40 years old Youngest Client 15 / Oldest Client 92 $21,972 - Average Adjusted Gross Income 69% - Utilized Direct Deposit when filing their taxes 10% - Of clients had a balance due to the IRS 13% - Of clients indicated that they or a member of their household has a disability 59% of clients are returning each year 28% - Qualified for the Earned Income Tax Credit 21% - Qualified for the Child Tax Credit 13% - Qualified for the Education Credit.12% - Qualified for the Elderly Credit 74% - Employed; work an average of 32 hrs per week 74% - of those working used via direct deposit 43% - Utilize a bank or credit union to cash checks Our Clients 90% DO NOT have CC debt that exceeds $7,000 86% Have a checking account 87% Pay your bills on time 72% Keep regular financial records 70% Maintain a regular budget 70% Have a savings account 36% Save or invest each paycheck 34% Maintain an emergency fund 31% Have life insurance 24% Have a retirement account Plans for this year s tax refund 46% Save A Portion Of It 36% Pay On Debt Or Loans 35% Pay For Groceries/Expenses 33% Pay Monthly Home Utilities 24% Pay Vehicle, Insurance Or Registration IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS VITA CLIENTS PLAN TO INVEST IN... DATA SOURCE 100%... Education and Training 99%... Home 99%... Vehicle 98%... Computer VITA Returns 18,897 total federal income tax returns filed as reported by the IRS 16,514 total state income tax returns filed as reported by the IRS MyFreeTaxes Returns 2,769 total federal income tax returns a 23% increase from the previous year Note: MyFreeTaxes and the IRS Grant Office are negotiating the proper solution on how to include MyFreeTaxes returns in their official totals for IRS Grant recipients (of which EIKISI is part of). In the meantime the official number of returns this coalition produced is 18, ,661 (VITA) + 1,236 (MyFreeTaxes) = 18,897 returns. That number could be slightly higher if all residents in Utah utilizing MyFreeTaxes were allowed to be counted as part of the total. 17,661 (VITA) + 2,769 (MyFreeTaxes) = 20,430 returns. The discrepancy exists because of a unique identifying number that each site is assigned. Earn it. Keep it. Save it. has unique identifiers that account for 1,236 of the returns filed through MyFreeTaxes and the remainder come from the unique identifier assigned to MyFreeTaxes. 5 How difficult is it to maintain adequate clothing, education, employment, food and nutrition items, health coverage, housing, and transportation? For every category (except health coverage) VITA clients indicated that they RARELY experience difficulties maintaining the above. However it was SOMETIMES difficult to maintain adequate health care coverage. The above reflects data gathered in the season (Tax Year 2013). Sources include: Utah VITA Client Survey, Internal Revenue Service VITA Reports, and MyFreeTaxes.

8 OUR IMPACT IN WORDS OUR IMPACT IN WORDS I was totally shocked to find out the amount of my refund. I was hoping to pay off part of my debts but now I should be able to pay them all off! Thanks so much for making my day, week, month and year. M. Oswald, San Juan County Client I m a divorced mother of two who is working part-time and going to school full-time. It s hard to keep my head above water and programs like VITA are a real blessing to my family. I feel like I have support from my community to reach my educational and career goals so that I can be able to take care of my family on my own. Thank you! Katy, Cache County Client I have filed my taxes with VITA for three years in a row now and they have always been so helpful and kind to me. They are accurate and detail oriented. I cannot afford to pay others to file my taxes so with VITA I get to save money and put it toward something else for my children. Lofa, Five County Client 6

9 OUR IMPACT IN WORDS (CONTINUED) OUR IMPACT IN WORDS So excited about the information and referrals to get my own business started! I saved my full state refund toward a college fund for my granddaughter. Got less money on my taxes than other years but I left with so much more! Olivia, Salt Lake County Client I have visited VITA in the past and the volunteers are really friendly and easy to work with. They informed me of the EITC. I got my refund by direct deposit and it was simple. The certified volunteers do an awesome job. Nancy, Cache County Client Last year with the Earned Income Tax Credit I fixed my car to get to and from work and paid off some loans. This year I am looking forward to sending my spouse to college so she can get a nice job to help out our family. Nik, Salt Lake County Client We are living paycheck to paycheck on only one income. Sometimes we are only able to save $50 a month so this is an awesome program since we were worried about saving enough to pay to have our taxes done. Luis, Cache County Client 7

10 BOX ELDER, CACHE, RICH COUNTIES BOX ELDER, CACHE & RICH COUNTIES Earn It. Keep It. Save It. in Box Elder, Cache, and Rich Counties is implemented through the Bear River Association of Governments in Logan, Utah. This region experienced a 1% increase from the previous year and $1.9 million was returned to the community through tax refunds. Seventy-eight volunteers gave 998 hours of service in the region. At least one person invested in a savings bond and three people participated in the national Save Your Refund program, saving a combined $200. There were five free tax preparation sites in the region. QUICK FACTS 1,325 Tax Returns 78 Volunteers saved Utah Taxpayers $279,575 in tax preparation fees 1 Savings Bond invested 3 Participated in Save Your Refund and saved $200 CLIENT EMPLOYMENT 77% of VITA clients are employed working an average of 31 hours each week 79% of those employed have their wages issued through direct deposit 20% receive a paper check OUR CLIENTS... 94% Have a checking account 90% DO NOT have credit card debt that exceeds $7,000 88% Pay bills on time 74% Keep regular financial records 74% Have a savings account 69% Maintain a regular budget 37% Save or invest each paycheck 37% Maintain an emergency fund 32% Have life insurance 27% Have a retirement account PLANS FOR THIS YEAR S TAX REFUND (HIGHEST PRIORITY TO LOWEST) 56 % SAVE A PORTION 39 % PAY ON DEBT/LOANS 33 % PAY FOR GROCERIES 32 % PAY MONTHLY HOME 27 % PAY VEHICLE 23 % PAY MORTGAGE/ RENT 22 % PAY EDUCATION For more information regarding services go to UtahTaxHelp.org. 8

11 SUMMIT, WASATCH, AND UTAH COUNTIES Earn It. Keep It. Save It. in Summit, Wasatch, and Utah Counties is implemented through the United Way of Utah County in Provo, Utah. While the region experienced a 13% decrease in the number of tax returns prepared from the previous year, over $5 million was returned to the community through tax refunds. One hundred thirty six volunteers gave 5,346 hours of service in the region and at least one person invested in a savings bond. There were 11 free tax preparation sites in the region. SUMMIT, WASATCH & UTAH COUNTIES QUICK FACTS 3,492 Tax Returns 136 Volunteers saved Utah Taxpayers $736,812 in tax preparation fees 1 Savings Bond invested CLIENT EMPLOYMENT 78% of VITA clients are employed working an average of 28 hours each week 83% of those employed have their wages issued through direct deposit 17% receive a paper check OUR CLIENTS... 95% Have a checking account 93% DO NOT have credit card debt that exceeds $7,000 93% Pay bills on time 81% Have a savings account 75% Keep regular financial records 69% Maintain a regular budget 43% Save or invest each paycheck 47% Maintain an emergency fund 30% Have life insurance 24% Have a retirement account PLANS FOR THIS YEAR S TAX REFUND (HIGHEST PRIORITY TO LOWEST) 58 % SAVE A PORTION 37 % PAY ON DEBT/LOANS 35 % PAY FOR GROCERIES 34 % PAY MONTHLY HOME 29 % PAY EDUCATION 24 % PAY VEHICLE 24 % PAY MORTGAGE OR RENT For more information regarding services go to UtahTaxHelp.org. 9

12 WEBER COUNTY WEBER COUNTY Earn It. Keep It. Save It. in Weber County is implemented through Ogden Weber Community Action Partnership in Ogden, Utah. While this region experienced a 2% decrease in the number of tax returns from the previous year, over $3.3 million was returned to the community through tax refunds. There was a 33% increase in the number of volunteers with a total of 113 volunteers who gave 2,626 hours of service. There were six free tax preparation sites in the region. QUICK FACTS 2,432 Tax Returns 113 Volunteers saved Utah Taxpayers $513,152 in tax preparation fees CLIENT EMPLOYMENT 68% of VITA clients are employed working an average of 34 hours each week 70% of those employed have their wages issued through direct deposit 25% receive a paper check OUR CLIENTS... 89% DO NOT have credit card debt that exceeds $7,000 84% Pay bills on time 75% Have a checking account 67% Have a savings account 66% Maintain a regular budget 64% Keep regular financial records 33% Have life insurance 31% Save or invest each paycheck 28% Maintain an emergency fund 24% Have a retirement account PLANS FOR THIS YEAR S TAX REFUND (HIGHEST PRIORITY TO LOWEST) 40 % SAVE A PORTION 36 % PAY ON DEBT/LOANS 35 % PAY FOR GROCERIES 33 % PAY MONTHLY HOME 24 % PAY VEHICLE 23 % PAY MORTGAGE/ RENT 20 % PAY MEDICAL For more information regarding services go to UtahTaxHelp.org. 10

13 DAVIS & MORGAN COUNTIES Earn It. Keep It. Save It. in Davis and Morgan Counties is implemented through the Bountiful Community Food Pantry in Bountiful, Utah. This region saw a 7% increase in the number of tax returns prepared from the previous year and $2.1 million was returned to the community through tax refunds. Seventy-eight volunteers gave 3,402 hours of service. Seven people invested in savings bonds and 17 people participated in the national Save Your Refund program, saving a combined $13,913. There were 16 free tax preparation sites in the region. DAVIS & MORGAN COUNTIES QUICK FACTS 1,385 Tax Returns 78 Volunteers saved Utah Taxpayers $292,235 in tax preparation fees 7 Savings Bond invested 17 participated in Save Your Refund and saved $13,913 CLIENT EMPLOYMENT 67% of VITA clients are employed working an average of 33 hours each week 70% of those employed have their wages issued through direct deposit 26% receive a paper check OUR CLIENTS... 90% Pay bills on time 86% DO NOT have credit card debt that exceeds $7,000 86% Have a checking account 74% Have a savings account 73% Keep regular financial records 72% Maintain a regular budget 39% Have life insurance 33% Maintain an emergency fund 30% Save or invest each paycheck 23% Have a retirement account PLANS FOR THIS YEAR S TAX REFUND (HIGHEST PRIORITY TO LOWEST) 47 % SAVE A PORTION 38 % PAY MONTHLY HOME 37 % PAY FOR GROCERIES 37 % PAY DEBT OR LOANS 23 % PAY VEHICLE 20 % PAY MORTGAGE/ RENT 19 % PAY EDUCATION For more information regarding services go to UtahTaxHelp.org. 11

14 SALT LAKE & TOOELE COUNTIES SALT LAKE & TOOELE COUNTIES Earn It. Keep It. Save It. in Salt Lake and Tooele Counties is implemented through Community Action Partnership of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. This region experienced a 2% increase in the number of tax returns prepared from the previous year and a 25% increase in the number of volunteers. The region also had 37 savings bonds invested-in at VITA sites. With a robust Financial Integration program, the region also achieved great success by linking clients with financial resources. One hundred twenty four savings accounts were opened at tax time in strategically placed sites across the region. Four of the 16 sites are placed in areas where there is the highest percent of eligible clients in Salt Lake County. QUICK FACTS 5,802 Tax Returns 265 Volunteers saved Utah Taxpayers $1,224,222 in tax preparation fees 37 Savings Bond invested 239 Participated in Save Your Refund and saved $125,171 CLIENT EMPLOYMENT 74% of VITA clients are employed working an average of 32 hours each week 75% of those employed have their wages issued through direct deposit 21% receive a paper check OUR CLIENTS... 88% DO NOT have credit card debt that exceeds $7,000 86% Have a checking account 84% Pay bills on time 71% Keep regular financial records 70% Maintain a regular budget 66% Have a savings account 32% Save or invest each paycheck 32% Have life insurance 31% Maintain an emergency fund 26% Have a retirement account PLANS FOR THIS YEAR S TAX REFUND (HIGHEST PRIORITY TO LOWEST) 40 % SAVE A PORTION 35 % PAY ON DEBT/LOANS 35 % PAY FOR GROCERIES 33 % PAY MONTHLY HOME 23 % PAY VEHICLE 21 % PAY MORTGAGE/ RENT 20 % PAY MEDICAL For more information regarding services go to UtahTaxHelp.org. 12

15 FINANCIAL INTEGRATION The Financial Integration Program aims to help VITA clients address their top financial needs and utilize tax refunds to build a stable financial future. Financial Advocate volunteers educate VITA clients about on and off site financial tools that meet program goals. Earn It. Keep It. Save It. has partnered with local agencies who provide financial services that build financial stability. Some of these services include Individual Development Accounts, down payment assistance, and debt management services. Depending on VITA client s needs or interest, Financial Advocates are able to make live and immediate referrals to our partner agencies, which then follow up with VITA clients. Financial Advocates also encourage VITA clients to utilize one of our on site tools which include US Savings Bonds, Form 8888, on-site direct service, or opening up a new savings account. In its second year, the Financial Integration Program has been fully incorporated at five VITA sites in Salt Lake County. We ve seen unprecedented growth with volunteers, clients, and services. Additionally, with the help of our partners, there s been an expansion of on-site services to include free credit report analysis, one on one budgeting, and help completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process. American United Credit Union also helped VITA clients open new savings accounts at their credit union. With the recent success of the program it is our desire to expand Financial Integration components at other VITA sites across the state to help VITA clients statewide build a stable financial future. 31 volunteers at 5 sites met with 3,000 VITA clients. SALT LAKE COUNTY breakdown STATE WIDE 2,025 went on to Form 8888, Direct Deposit, US Savings Bonds, on-site credit reports 965 were referred to partner agencies that assist with asset development, debt management, financial stability, and funding for and saving for higher education 124 of those VITA clients opened new savings accounts with American United Credit Union 37families invested in US Savings Bonds totaling $5,000! 260 clients state wide utilized tax time to build financial assets by saving a portion of their refund. Of those 260 clients - $136,663 was saved at tax time. Financial Integration USEED PROJECT During the school year , Earn It. Keep It. Save It. launched Utah Saving, Education, Entrepreneurship, & Down Payment (US- EED) as a pilot project designed to increase financial stability by providing child savings accounts. USEED offered incentives for saving and had three main components: an initial match, benchmark match, and a dollar for dollar match. The initial match was designed to compel families to save. The benchmark match was designed to encourage families to use financial tools like developing a budget or include their children in discussions regarding their family s finances. The dollar for dollar match is the institutional component that is used to both incentivize families to keep saving and is also used to educate families about other long-term savings options like a 401(k) or a 529 plan. In the pilot year, 14 families from Copperview Head Start opened USEED accounts. These deposit only accounts were housed at American United Credit Union. RESULTS All families engaged in a new banking product 10 families contributed to their student s USEED account 8 families achieved at least 1 benchmark 2 families withdrew from Head Start which caused them to leave the program Collectively, family contributions averaged $14/month 13

16 MILLARD, JUAB, SANPETE, SEVIER, PIUTE, & WAYNE COUNTIES MILLARD, JUAB, SANPETE, SEVIER, PIUTE, & WAYNE COUNTIES Earn It. Keep It. Save It. in Millard, Juab, Sanpete, Sevier, Piute, and Wayne Counties is implemented through The Volunteer Connection out of the Six County Association of Governments in Richfield, Utah. This region experienced a 7% increase in returns from the previous year and over $423,000 was returned to the community through tax refunds. Twenty volunteers gave 500 hours of service. Four people participated in the national Save Your Refund program saving a combined $2,857. There were 10 free tax preparation sites in the region. QUICK FACTS 328 Tax Returns 20 Volunteers saved Utah Taxpayers $69,208 in tax preparation fees 4 Participated in Save Your Refund and saved $2,857 CLIENT EMPLOYMENT 63% of VITA clients are employed working an average of 29 hours each week 48% of those employed have their wages issued through direct deposit 50% receive a paper check OUR CLIENTS... 90% DO NOT have credit card debt that exceeds $7,000 89% Pay bills on time 80% Have a checking account 78% Keep regular financial records 67% Maintain a regular budget 67% Have a savings account 39% Save or invest each paycheck 39% Have life insurance 34% Maintain an emergency fund 25% Have a retirement account PLANS FOR THIS YEAR S TAX REFUND (HIGHEST PRIORITY TO LOWEST) 44 % SAVE A PORTION 32 % PAY ON DEBT/LOANS 31 % PAY MONTHLY HOME 29 % PAY FOR GROCERIES 22 % PAY MEDICAL 22 % PAY VEHICLE 20 % PAY MORTGAGE OR RENT For more information regarding services go to UtahTaxHelp.org. 14

17 BEAVER, IRON, WASHINGTON, GARFIELD & KANE COUNTIES Earn It. Keep It. Save It. in Beaver, Iron, Washington, Garfield, and Kane Counties is implemented through Five County Association of Governments in St. George, Utah. While the region experienced a 10% decrease in the number of tax returns prepared from the previous year, over $4.9 million was returned to the community through tax refunds. One hundred twenty volunteers gave 9,568 hours of service and one person invested in a savings bond. There were nine free tax preparation sites in the region. BEAVER, IRON, WASHINGTON, GARFIELD & KANE COUNTIES QUICK FACTS 2,963 Tax Returns 120 Volunteers saved Utah Taxpayers $625,193 in tax preparation fees 1 Savings Bond invested OUR CLIENTS... 95% Have a checking account 93% DO NOT have credit card debt that exceeds $7,000 93% Pay bills on time CLIENT EMPLOYMENT 78% of VITA clients are employed working an average of 31 hours each week 72% of those employed have their wages issued through direct deposit 27% receive a paper check 79% Have a savings account 76% Keep regular financial records 74% Maintain a regular budget 48% Save or invest each paycheck 43% Maintain an emergency fund 29% Have life insurance 21% Have a retirement account PLANS FOR THIS YEAR S TAX REFUND (HIGHEST PRIORITY TO LOWEST) 59 % SAVE A PORTION 40 % PAY ON DEBT/LOANS 36 % PAY FOR GROCERIES 33 % PAY MONTHLY HOME 26 % PAY VEHICLE 25 % PAY EDUCATION 22 % PAY MORTGAGE OR RENT For more information regarding services go to UtahTaxHelp.org. 15

18 CARBON, EMERY, GRAND AND SAN JUAN COUNTIES CARBON, EMERY, GRAND & SAN JUAN COUNTIES Earn It. Keep It. Save It. in Carbon, Emery, Grand, and San Juan Counties is implemented through Southeastern Utah Association of Local Governments in Price, Utah. The region experienced a 42% increase in the number of returns filed from the previous year and over $649,000 was returned to the community through tax refunds. Twenty-three volunteers gave 526 hours of service. There were five free tax preparation sites in the region. QUICK FACTS 530 Tax Returns 23 Volunteers saved Utah Taxpayers $111,830 in tax preparation fees CLIENT EMPLOYMENT 66% of VITA clients are employed working an average of 30 hours each week 64% of those employed have their wages issued through direct deposit 33% receive a paper check OUR CLIENTS... 96% DO NOT have credit card debt that exceeds $7,000 85% Pay bills on time 76% Have a checking account 69% Maintain a regular budget 66% Keep regular financial records 57% Have a savings account 30% Save or invest each paycheck 25% Maintain an emergency fund 23% Have life insurance 16% Have a retirement account PLANS FOR THIS YEAR S TAX REFUND (HIGHEST PRIORITY TO LOWEST) 50 % SAVE A PORTION 42 % PAY FOR GROCERIES 35 % PAY MONTHLY HOME 30 % PAY ON DEBT OR LOANS 30 % PAY VEHICLE 19 % PAY HOME MAINTENANCE 14 % PAY MORTGAGE OR RENT For more information regarding services go to UtahTaxHelp.org. 16

19 DAGGETT, DUCHESNE, & UINTAH COUNTIES Earn It. Keep It. Save It. in Daggett, Duchesne, and Uintah Counties is implemented through Community Action Partnership of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. While this region experienced a 39% decrease in the number of tax returns prepared from the previous year, nearly $7,000 was returned to the community through tax refunds. Three volunteers gave 36 hours of service and two people invested in savings bonds. There was one free tax preparation site in the region. DAGGETT, DUCHESNE, AND UINTAH COUNTIES QUICK FACTS 11 Tax Returns 3 Volunteers saved Utah Taxpayers $2,321 in tax preparation fees 2 Savings Bond invested CLIENT EMPLOYMENT 70% of VITA clients are employed working an average of 33 hours each week 63% of those employed have their wages issued through direct deposit 37% receive a paper check OUR CLIENTS % Have a checking account 100% Pay bills on time 91% Have a savings account 82% Keep regular financial records 82% Maintain a regular budget 80% DO NOT have credit card debt that exceeds $7,000 50% Maintain an emergency fund 30% Save or invest each paycheck 30% Have life insurance 22% Have a retirement account PLANS FOR THIS YEAR S TAX REFUND (HIGHEST PRIORITY TO LOWEST) 54 % PAY MONTHLY HOME 36 % PAY ON DEBT OR LOANS 36 % PAY FOR GROCERIES 27 % PAY HOME MAINTENANCE 9 % PAY VEHICLE 9 % PAY MORTGAGE / RENT 9 % SAVE A PORTION For more information regarding services go to UtahTaxHelp.org. 17

20 VOLUNTEERS MATTER! VOLUNTEERS MATTER! Each and every year we rely upon hundreds of volunteers to help prepare taxes, provide financial resource information, and welcome each and every client with warm smiles. The culture of friendliness, professionalism, and wealth of knowledge continues to impact everyone who visits a free tax preparation site and many of our clients spread the word about the awesome service they have received. Here are the solid facts about the impact our volunteers are making Volunteers provided 29,790 service hours and brought back $26,171,131 in refunds! That breaks down to $31,305 that each volunteer was responsible for infusing in our communities - OR - Each hour of service = $879! Cheers to the volunteers who make it happen - we really couldn t do it without them! Very thorough with my return. This is why I came for the second year! I ll be coming next year too. I feel like VITA volunteers put in more time and effort than other tax preparation services. They re friendly and warm and explain my return to me in layman s terms. Justin, Cache County Client We love coming each year to VITA. We have come the past six years and have the same volunteer each year which is a pleasure. He is so friendly and helpful. He makes the whole experience much more enjoyable. Simon, Washington County Client This is our fourth year filing taxes with VITA. We have been impressed with the kind service given by each volunteer. We are grateful for this free service, and we will continue coming back as long as we can. We use our refunds to pay student loans and put toward family expenses and things we couldn t normally afford. Thank you! Kelsey, Cache County Volunteer 18

21 OUTREACH EFFORTS The ability to connect with our clients and volunteers is paramount in our success to serving Utah taxpayers. We re working diligently to ensure that we are meeting people where they are and providing the most up to date information as possible. Our outreach efforts included social media, Google AdWords, flyer distribution, word of mouth, and print and radio advertising. All in 151 days! OUTREACH EFFORTS 11,840 calls to Information and Referral 22,754 visits to UtahTaxHelp.org 57% of our clients heard of us through family or a friend 812 posts on Facebook 721tweets FUN FACTS UtahTaxHelp.org was the TOP SEARCHED FOR PHRASE typed into Google, Yahoo, Bing etc. Twitter followers INCREASED BY 30% 19 18% of all visitors to UtahTaxHelp.org came from mobile phones and 6% came from tablets

22 OUR PARTNERS has amazing partners who help us in a variety of ways. These are partners who provide, sites, volunteers, funding, supplies, and in-kind donations. Special thanks to everyone who helps Earn It. Keep It. Save It. be successful! AAA Fair Credit Ally Bank America 1st Credit Union American Express American United Credit Union American West Bank Antelope School Bear River Association of Governments Bear River Valley Senior Center Beaver Food Network Bountiful City Bountiful Food Pantry Briderland Applied Technology College Brigham Young University Catholic Community Services CitiGroup Clearfield Food Bank Community Partnership Center Cornerstone Financial Cottages of Hope Davis Behavior Health Davis Chamber Commerce Davis Community Learning Center Davis School District Department of Workforce Service Deseret Mutual Disability Law Center Division of Rehabilitation Services Division of Services for the Blind and Visually impaired Dixie State University Career Center Dixie State University of Utah Accounting Department Enerbank USA Family Connection Center Family Enrichment Center Fillmore Public Library Five County Association of Governments Community Action Partnership Francis Peak Apartments GE Capital Granite School District Guadalupe Schools Gunnison Senior Center Internal Revenue Service Job Corps Kane County Volunteer Center Kids on the Move Layton City LDS Employment Services Magna Town Council Manti Department Workforce Services Meadow-brook School Midtown Clinic Morgan 1st Bank Morgan County Library Mountain America Credit Union Mt. Pleasant Community Center MyFreeTaxes National Disability Institute North Salt Lake City Ogden School District Ogden Weber Community Action Program Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College Panguitch Library Pioneer Adult Rehabilitation Center Park City Resort Bank Piute County Courthouse Provo South Stake Red Rock Center for Independence Richfield Zions Bank Salina Community Center Salt Lake City Corporation Salt Lake Community Action Program Salt Lake County Samaritan Technologies Six County Volunteer Center Sorenson Unity Center South Franklin Community Center South Jordan Southern Utah University Accounting Department Stevens-Henager College Syracuse City Tooele County U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs Utah Community Credit Union United Way of Salt Lake United Way of Utah County United Way Worldwide University of Utah Beat Alpha Psi University of Utah David Eccles School of Business University of Utah LDS Institute University of Utah Personal Money Management Center University of Utah College of Social Work Utah State University Blanding Utah State University Extension Eastern Utah State University Extension Moab Utah State University Extension Washington County Utah State University Extension Juab Utah Council of Cities and Towns Utah Department of Workforce Services Utah Education Savings Plan Washington County Volunteer Center Wayne County Courthouse Weber State University Wells Fargo Bank West Valley City Westminster College Whitesides School Zions Bank Our Partners 20

23 through your hard work. in your control. for tomorrow. UtahTaxHelp.org

24 POVERTY IN UTAH IS REAL. COU-EKS-ANNUALREPORT 2014-BGDS IT DOESN T HAVE TO BE. Artist Credits: Daniel & Melissa, Cache County Clients UtahTaxHelp.org