POVERTY IN UTAH IS REAL

Transcription

1 Utah s statewide campaign to strengthen family financial stability though utilization of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), and asset formation programs A N N U A L REPORT

2 2013 ANNUAL REPORT TAX YEAR 2012 MISSION The mission of Community Action Partnership of Utah is to advocate for, support, and provide training and technical assistance to Utah s Community Action Agencies, utilizing our collective strength to address the causes of poverty. Earn it. Keep it. Save it. is a program of Community Action Partnership of Utah. Community Action Partnership of Utah 230 South 500 West Suite 260 Salt Lake City, Utah I Editor Kate Rubalcava Layout and Design: Boss Graphic Design Studio 2013 Community Action Partnership of Utah. Earn it. Keep it. Save it. a special thanks... to American Express Center for Community Development, GE Capital, Goldman Sachs, the Internal Revenue Service and their Utah SPEC team, Citi, Ally Bank, United Way of Salt Lake, State Community Service Office, Zions Bank, Wells Fargo, Utah State Community Services Office, and Wells Fargo 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 taxpayers have access to such a wonderful service. 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 AND WHAT WE DO REGIONAL SUMMARIES 2/ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3/ EARN IT. KEEP IT. SAVE IT. 4/ REGIONAL SUCCESS 5/ WHO WE SERVE 6/ BOX ELDER, CACHE & RICH COUNTIES 7/ SUMMIT, WASATCH & UTAH COUNTIES 8/ WEBER COUNTY 9/ DAVIS & MORGAN COUNTIES 10/ SALT LAKE AND TOOELE COUNTIES 11/ MILLARD, JUAB, SANPETE, SEVIER, PIUTE, AND WAYNE COUNTIES 12/ BEAVER, IRON, WASHINGTON, GARFIELD, AND KANE COUNTIES 13/ CARBON, EMERY, GRAND AND SAN JUAN COUNTIES 13/ DAGGETT, DUCHESNE, AND UINTAH COUNTIES TABLE OF CONTENTS MEDIA, VOLUNTEERS, FINANCIAL INTEGRATION, PARTNERS SUCCESS STORIES 14/ MEDIA CAMPAIGN 15/ VOLUNTEERS MATTER! 16/ FINANCIAL INTEGRATION 17/ OUR PARTNERS 18/ TESTIMONIALS 19/ TESTIMONIALS 20/ TESTIMONIALS 1

4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY has had a wonderful year! The numbers alone speak for themselves. 19,148 taxes were prepared (a 15.6% increase from the previous year). $26.7 million in refunds infused into our communities. 801 volunteers provided nearly 30,000 hours of service. Over 100 VITA sites. All in 91 days. And in the last seven years we ve experienced an astonishing 48% growth. We know that 50% of our clients returned to see us this year and I know why. Each region across the state is fortunate to have a regional coordinator who nurtures the relationships with the businesses and organizations that host our VITA sites, often utilizing their organization s equipment. Those regional coordinators also recruit and encourage countless volunteers who are eager to give, learn, and share. Those dedicated volunteers come in day after day to prepare taxes for their neighbors, friends, and strangers simply because they want to serve their communities. And let s not forget the clients who share their experiences with the people they know. Everything Earn it. Keep it. Save it. is relies upon all of these working parts moving in concert with one another twelve months out of the year. This work, however, is more than numbers. It s about the people we meet along the way and their stories. I ve personally sifted through anecdotal accounts from clients and volunteers across the state. Our volunteers were excited to see smiles on the faces of the people they served. Our clients were thrilled they and their families qualified for various credits and were appreciative that the service was free. With the average tax return costing $211, it s impressive to realize that through VITA, Earn it. Keep it. Save it. saved Utahns an estimated $4 million in tax preparation fees in tax year With the average return resulting in $1,880, it s astounding to know that 35% of our clients spent the refund they received from tax year 2011 on basic needs such as food, clothing, and housing for their families. It s startling because we re in an economy still trying desperately to rebound from a recession. Our clients are working and their wages are low. What little money they receive from a tax refund is going to goods and services meant to be covered by the pay they receive from working. The truth, then, is that our clients aren t making enough at their places of employment to sustain them month after month. However, it is uplifting to know that despite such challenges, our clients believe in their own potential to create a brighter future for themselves and their families. Certainly more uplifting than the challenges of being underemployed and underpaid is what our clients feel and believe regarding their own futures. 33% of our clients intend to spend their refunds on education costs and 17% of them saved a portion of the tax return they received from tax year For anyone wondering if volunteering or becoming a partner with Earn it. Keep it. Save it. would positively add to their lives I m hard pressed to find a reason they shouldn t. It s the right thing to do for ourselves and our neighbors. It will inspire you to focus less on your own problems, and more on positively impacting the lives of others. You might even learn a few facts about taxes you never knew before! As a result of the widespread support of Earn it. Keep it. Save it., I won t worry about people returning, monies coming in, or tax returns being processed from year to year. I believe in the program. I believe in the people. I believe that others do as well. Will people return as volunteers and clients? Will funders continue to recognize the stellar job we are doing and the impact it s having in our state? Yes, I believe they will for years to come! Kate Rubalcava Program Director Earn it. Keep it. Save it. 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 (EITC), Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), and asset formation programs. The approach of Earn it. Keep it. Save it. is to serve people who have low-to-moderate incomes in Utah in three ways: Earn it. refers to the first step of Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) outreach, education and advocacy. Keep it. is the core component of free tax preparation Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA). Save it. is the final building block to move families from living paycheck to paycheck to financial stability. 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 $80,000 STATE FUNDING $143,100 LOCAL GRANTS $201,500 NATIONAL GRANTS $0 TOTAL $424,600 3

6 REGIONAL SUCCESS REGIONAL GROWTH FROM (TY) 2011 AND ECONOMIC IMPACT (TY) 2012 REGION INCREASE 52.24% ECONOMIC IMPACT $445,406 REGION INCREASE 179% ECONOMIC IMPACT $707,536 VOLUNTEERS USED 26 Box Elder REGION INCREASE 10.13% ECONOMIC IMPACT $7, VOLUNTEERS USED Tooele 212 Juab Davis Cache Weber Salt Lake Morgan Utah Rich Summit Wasatch REGION INCREASE 2.94% ECONOMIC IMPACT $3,688,977 VOLUNTEERS USED 85 Duchesne Carbon REGION INCREASE 10.29% ECONOMIC IMPACT $2,035,058 VOLUNTEERS USED 91 Daggett Uintah REGION INCREASE 9.11% ECONOMIC IMPACT $5,376,609 VOLUNTEERS USED 223 REGION INCREASE N/A ECONOMIC IMPACT $12,191 VOLUNTEERS USED 3 VOLUNTEERS USED 22 Millard Sanpete Emery Grand Sevier REGION INCREASE % REGION INCREASE 7.18% ECONOMIC IMPACT $5, VOLUNTEERS USED 116 Beaver Iron Piute Garfield Wayne San Juan ECONOMIC IMPACT $494,414 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 30% African American/Black 3% Am. Indian/Native Am. 3% Male 54% Female 46% WHO WE SERVE Married/Separate 1.5% Head of Household 13% Asian/Pacific Islander 6% Caucasian/White 73% Hispanic/Latino/a 12% Other 3% QUICK STATS Average age 38 years old 18% - Of clients are age 60 or older $20,958 - Average Adjusted Gross Income 68% - Utilized Direct Deposit when filing their taxes 10% - Of clients had a balance due to the IRS 10% - Of clients indicated that they or a member of their household has a disability 84% - Indicate that English is spoken in the home 10% - Indicate that Spanish is spoken in the home 34% - Qualified for the Earned Income Tax Credit 22% - Qualified for the Child Tax Credit 12% - Qualified for the Education Credit 0.14% - Qualified for the Elderly Credit Where did last year s refund go? 35% - Basic Needs 17% - Saved part of it 15% - Credit Card Debt 14% - Medical Bills 13% - Auto insurance 13% - Education costs 7% - Household maintenance 6% - Dental care 4% - Buy a home 22% - Need help making and keeping a budget 17% - Need help going back to school 6% - Need help starting a small business 10% - Are getting calls from debt collectors 13% - Are struggling to pay off loans 22% - Need financial aid for education 11% - Need financial Advice 20% - Involuntarily unemployed in the last 12 months WHAT VITA CLIENTS INTEND ON DOING IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS 33%... Investing In Education 8%... Starting A Small Business 8%... Buying A Home 5 D A T A S O U R C E ALL DATA PROVIDED IN THIS ANNUAL REPORT WAS GATHERED FROM THE UTAH VITA CLIENT SURVEY FROM TAX YEAR 2012 AND INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE TAXWISE REPORTS, ALL PERTINENT TO TAX YEAR 2012.

8 BOX ELDER, CACHE, RICH COUNTIES BOX ELDER, CACHE & RICH COUNTIES Earn it. Keep it. Save it. is implemented in the Bear River Region (Box Elder, Cache, and Rich counties) through Bear River Association of Governments. Reaching out to Spanish speaking populations is something on which the region is working. At two of their busiest sites, Spanish speaking volunteers are present two times a week. A variety of outreach material was utilized to let the public know about VITA including: Public Service Announcements on local radio, faith-based outreach, and with the local municipality to have an advertisement listed in the council newsletter. Social media was also utilized in the region. The regional coordinator had an opportunity to teach a class at Utah State University and utilized that opportunity to speak about VITA. As a result, three interns were appointed to the VITA team. Each intern needed 300 hours during their spring semester and was a great help in preparing for and then assisting during tax season. QUICK FACTS 1,312 tax returns, 179% increase from previous year $1.9 Million back into local economy 26 volunteers with 1,107 hours, saved Utah taxpayers $276,832 in tax preparation fees CLIENT 2013 NEEDS 18% - New student school finances 10% - House down payment assistance 23% - Making and keeping a budget 12% - Help paying debt 30% - Current student needing financial aid 13% - Need general financial advice HOW CLIENTS CASH THEIR CHECKS Direct Deposited 57% Bank / Credit Union 36% Grocery Store 2% Payday Lender 1% Family Or Friend 0.4% 18 % BOUGHT A CAR 8 % PAID FOR DENTAL HOW people prepared their taxes in 2013: PAID A BUSINESS - 22% DID NOT FILE - 11% FAMILY OR FRIEND - 8% HOW LAST YEARS REFUND WAS SPENT 17 % PAID ON CREDIT CARD DEBT 16 % PAID MEDICAL BILLS 38 % SPENT ON BASIC NEEDS DID THEIR OWN - 13% 16 % SPENT TOWARD EDUCATION VITA 34% ANOTHER FREE PLACE - 11% WHAT CLIENTS INTEND ON DOING IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS 18%... Buying A Car 39%... Investing In Education 3%... Starting A Small Business 6%... Buying A Home 16%... Buying A Computer 17 % SAVED A PORTION For more information regarding services in these counties contact: Bear River Association of Governments 170 N. Main Logan, UT I I jodiw@brag.utah.gov 6

9 SUMMIT, WASATCH & UTAH COUNTIES Earn it. Keep it. Save it. in Mountainlands is directed out of United Way of Utah County and comprises Summit, Wasatch, and Utah counties. Grant monies are distributed from Community Action Partnership of Utah and other sources to provide VITA services. While the region is largely urban, it does have pockets that are rural, which make it difficult to reach all who are eligible. However, outreach efforts are in place to target people who have low- to-moderate income and those who are Spanish speaking. SUMMIT, WASATCH & UTAH COUNTIES QUICK FACTS 4,011 tax returns, 9% increase from previous year $5.3 Million back into local economy 223 volunteers with 5,039 hours, saved Utah taxpayers $846,321 in tax preparation fees CLIENT 2013 NEEDS 17% - New student school finances 9% - House down payment assistance 18% - Making and keeping a budget 14% - Help paying debt 17% - Current student needing financial aid 9% - Need general financial advice HOW CLIENTS CASH THEIR CHECKS Direct Deposited 54% Bank / Credit Union 38% HOW people prepared their taxes in 2013: PAID A BUSINESS - 12% DID NOT FILE - 9% FAMILY OR FRIEND - 4% DID THEIR OWN - 9% ANOTHER FREE PLACE - 11% VITA 56% WHAT CLIENTS INTEND ON DOING IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS Grocery Store 23% Payday Lender 1% Family Or Friend 1% 17 % BOUGHT A CAR 7 % PAID FOR DENTAL HOW LAST YEARS REFUND WAS SPENT 18 % PAID ON CREDIT CARD DEBT 15 % PAID MEDICAL BILLS 36 % SPENT ON BASIC NEEDS 16%... Buying A Car 23%... Investing In Education 4%... Starting A Small Business 6%... Buying A Home 11%... Buying A Computer 9 % SPENT TOWARD EDUCATION 17 % SAVED A PORTION 7 For more information regarding services in these counties contact: United Way of Utah County 148 North 100 West Provo, UT I I marcusg@unitedwayuc.org

10 WEBER COUNTY WEBER COUNTY Earn it. Keep it. Save it. is implemented in Weber County through the Ogden Weber Community Action Partnership. The Earn it. Keep it. Save it. Coalition of Weber County is composed of representatives from local organizations. Extensive outreach in the region included contact with the Ogden School District, which has a majority of students who are low-income and limited English speaking. Flyers were also distributed to partners and businesses that serve these populations. Increased efforts were also focused on outreach to Spanish speaking members of the Ogden community. QUICK FACTS 2,490 tax returns, 3% increase from previous year $3.6 Million back into local economy 85 volunteers with 3,825 hours, saved Utah taxpayers $525,390 in tax preparation fees CLIENT 2013 NEEDS 14% - New student school finances 19% - House down payment assistance 5% - Making and keeping a budget 5% - Help paying debt 5% - Current student needing financial aid HOW people prepared their taxes in 2013: PAID A BUSINESS - 17% DID NOT FILE - 17% FAMILY OR FRIEND - 6% VITA 50% HOW CLIENTS CASH THEIR CHECKS Direct Deposited 70% Bank / Credit Union 24% Family Or Friend 6% 14 % BOUGHT A CAR 5 % PAID FOR DENTAL DID THEIR OWN - 11% HOW LAST YEARS REFUND WAS SPENT 19 % PAID ON CREDIT CARD DEBT 14 % PAID MEDICAL BILLS 33 % SPENT ON BASIC NEEDS ANOTHER FREE PLACE - 0% WHAT CLIENTS INTEND ON DOING IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS 10%... Buying A Car 24%... Investing In Education 5%... Starting A Small Business 5%... Buying A Home 10%... Buying A Computer 10 % SPENT TOWARD EDUCATION 5 % SAVED A PORTION For more information regarding services in these counties contact: Ogden Weber Community Action Program 3159 Grant Avenue Ogden, UT I I ssmith@owcap.org 8

11 DAVIS & MORGAN COUNTIES Earn it. Keep it. Save it. in Davis and Morgan Counties during tax year 2012 was implemented through Family Connection Center. The coalition is composed largely of representatives of local business, community and non-profit agencies, and sponsors of the VITA program. Outreach efforts in this region happen at a variety of levels and include utilizing networks that coalition members have to recruit volunteers, distribute flyers, and in the writing and submitting of articles for publication. An example of this is that coalition member, Don Milne, wrote an article for The Clipper highlighting one of the volunteers, Eileen Moss. Populations that are served in the region are individuals who speak Spanish, people with disabilities, individuals who have low- to moderate-income levels, and rural communities (specifically in Morgan County). DAVIS & MORGAN COUNTIES QUICK tax returns, 10% increase from previous year $2 Million back into local economy 91 volunteers with 3,413 hours saved, Utah taxpayers $273,667 in tax preparation fees. FACTS1,297 14% taxpayers identified has having a disability, CLIENT 2013 NEEDS 14% - New student school finances 13% - House down payment assistance 18% - Making and keeping a budget 16% - Help paying debt 18% - Current student needing financial aid 7% - Need general financial advice HOW CLIENTS CASH THEIR CHECKS Direct Deposited 52% Bank / Credit Union 26% HOW people prepared their taxes in 2013: PAID A BUSINESS - 13% DID NOT FILE - 8% FAMILY OR FRIEND - 6% DID THEIR OWN - 9% ANOTHER FREE PLACE - 13% VITA 51% WHAT CLIENTS INTEND ON DOING IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS Grocery Store 3% Payday Lender 1% Family Or Friend 1% 16 % BOUGHT A CAR 7 % PAID FOR DENTAL HOW LAST YEARS REFUND WAS SPENT 16 % PAID ON CREDIT CARD DEBT 15 % PAID MEDICAL BILLS 39 % SPENT ON BASIC NEEDS 20%... Buying A Car 26%... Investing In Education 3%... Starting A Small Business 11%... Buying A Home 12%... Buying A Computer 9 % SPENT TOWARD EDUCATION 15 % SAVED A PORTION 9 For more information regarding services in these counties contact: Bountiful Community Food Pantry 480 East 150 North Bountiful, UT I I julianna.potter@bountifulfoodpantry.org

12 SALT LAKE & TOOELE COUNTIES SALT LAKE & TOOELE COUNTIES Earn it. Keep it. Save it. in Salt Lake and Tooele Counties is guided through the leadership at Community Action Partnership of Utah. Multiple outreach events took place to ensure the recruitment of volunteers and to make the community aware of the program and its services. Representatives from this region also presented to various groups and agencies. One example is having presented at the Utah League of Cities and Towns which is a biannual meeting of public officials from within the state. Additionally there were articles and ads run in local newspapers. Because many of the clients who receive services in this area live in urban areas, it is believed that the statewide media campaign launched in January 2013 aided in this phenomenal success. Credit must also be given to the clients who continue to come back and to those who bring their friends and family members. QUICK FACTS 6,044 tax returns, 10% increase from previous year $7.5 Million back into local economy 212 volunteers with 6,780 hours, saved Utah taxpayers $1,275,284 in tax preparation fees CLIENT 2013 NEEDS 18% - New student school finances 11% - House down payment assistance 26% - Making and keeping a budget 15% - Help paying debt 12% - Current student needing financial aid 15% - Need general financial advice HOW CLIENTS CASH THEIR CHECKS Direct Deposited 32% Payday Lender 31% Bank / Credit Union 23% Grocery Store 8% Family Or Friend 3% 10 % BOUGHT A CAR 6 % PAID FOR DENTAL HOW people prepared their taxes in 2013: PAID A BUSINESS - 8% DID NOT FILE - 6% FAMILY OR FRIEND - 3% DID THEIR OWN - 8% ANOTHER FREE PLACE - 18% HOW LAST YEARS REFUND WAS SPENT 15 % PAID ON CREDIT CARD DEBT 16 % PAID MEDICAL BILLS 34 % SPENT ON BASIC NEEDS 11 % SPENT TOWARD EDUCATION VITA 57% WHAT CLIENTS INTEND ON DOING IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS 15%... Buying A Car 28%... Investing In Education 22%... Starting A Small Business 18%... Buying A Home 12%... Buying A Computer 16 % SAVED A PORTION For more information regarding services in these counties contact: Community Action Partnership of Utah 230 South 500 West #260 SLC, UT I I greg@caputah.org 10

13 MILLARD, JUAB, SANPETE, SEVIER, PIUTE, & WAYNE COUNTIES Earn it. Keep it. Save it. is implemented in the Sevier, Sanpete, Millard, Juab, Wayne, and Piute County regions through the Six County Association of Governments in Richfield, Utah. Wayne and Piute County are set up as Virtual VITA sites. This region has a coalition composed of local business, volunteers, community and non-profit agency leaders. The Six County area is completely rural and has the second lowest income population in the state. VITA flyer distribution was sent out through various nonprofit organizations, businesses, church groups, schools, colleges food banks, Head Start programs and HEAT program workers handed out flyers to their clients. The regional coordinator also wrote and had published four different articles promoting the program in nine newspapers throughout the region, had ads printed in the local newspapers, and advertised the program on local radio stations. Perhaps the most unique outreach effort took place by advertising through the 24/7 Facebook yard sale page. Some accomplishments for the area include: 12 families were helped who spoke other languages. There was also an increase of 6 additional volunteers. The Juab site has become a traditional VITA site where last year they were utilizing Virtual VITA. Additionally, there are two volunteers who were certified at an advanced level and one volunteer was certified with Health Savings Account (HSA). MILLARD, JUAB, SANPETE, SEVIER, PIUTE, & WAYNE COUNTIES QUICK FACTS306 tax returns, 52% increase from previous year $445,000 back into local economy 22 volunteers with 700 hours and, saved Utah taxpayers $64,566 in tax preparation fees 11% taxpayers identified as having a disability CLIENT 2013 NEEDS 17% - New student school finances 8% - House down payment assistance 24% - Making and keeping a budget 11% - Help paying debt 35% - Current student needing financial aid 11% - Need general financial advice HOW CLIENTS CASH THEIR CHECKS Direct Deposited 53% Bank / Credit Union 44% Grocery Store 2% Family Or Friend 0.2% Payday Lender 0.2% 15 % BOUGHT A CAR 4 % PAID FOR DENTAL DID NOT FILE - 6% FAMILY OR FRIEND - 3% 11 For more information regarding services in these counties contact: Six County Association of Governments 250 North Main #B03 Richfield, UT I I sbastian@sixcounty.com HOW people prepared their taxes in 2013: PAID A BUSINESS - 8% DID THEIR OWN - 8% HOW LAST YEARS REFUND WAS SPENT 13 % PAID ON CREDIT CARD DEBT 9 % PAID MEDICAL BILLS 35 % SPENT ON BASIC NEEDS 20 % SPENT TOWARD EDUCATION ANOTHER FREE PLACE - 18% VITA 43% WHAT CLIENTS INTEND ON DOING IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS 20%... Buying A Car 48%... Investing In Education 4%... Starting A Small Business 7%... Buying A Home 14%... Buying A Computer 20 % SAVED A PORTION

14 BEAVER, IRON, WASHINGTON, GARFIELD & KANE COUNTIES BEAVER, IRON, WASHINGTON, GARFIELD & KANE COUNTIES Earn it. Keep it. Save it. is implemented in the Five County region through the Five County Association of Governments Community Action Partnership. This organization receives and distributes grant monies for the program to encourage and support VITA sites in communities throughout the eleven million acres of land in southwestern Utah. The coalition in the Five County region is composed largely of local businesses, community, education and non-profit agency representatives. Most areas in Five County are rural. Using local poverty census information the coalition tries to provide tax preparation in areas that have low income population. An increased effort is being made to attract Spanish-speaking volunteers to VITA sites. The Southern Utah University and Dixie State University VITA sites have bilingual volunteers who are fluent in a number of languages including: Spanish, Portuguese, and Korean. There was also outreach to the local Native American population through the tribal offices. Multiple avenues of advertising are used to inform the local communities about VITA. The distribution of flyers is one outreach effort. Coalition members volunteer to distribute information materials. Twelve food pantries schools, libraries and places of business are also given posters and flyers. Additionally participation in community fairs is utilized for community outreach. QUICK FACTS 3,297 tax returns, 7% increase from previous year $5.1 Million back into local economy 116 volunteers with 7,060 hours, saved Utah taxpayers $695,667 in tax preparation fees CLIENT 2013 NEEDS 10% - New student school finances 9% - House down payment assistance 16% - Making and keeping a budget 17% - Help paying debt 7% - Current student needing financial aid 3% - Need general financial advice HOW CLIENTS CASH THEIR CHECKS Bank / Credit Union 50% Family Or Friend 45% Payday Lender 2% Grocery Store 2% Direct Deposited 1% 17 % BOUGHT A CAR 5 % PAID FOR DENTAL HOW people prepared their taxes in 2013: PAID A BUSINESS - 27% DID NOT FILE - 12% FAMILY OR FRIEND - 9% HOW LAST YEARS REFUND WAS SPENT 11 % PAID ON CREDIT CARD DEBT 22 % PAID MEDICAL BILLS 31 % SPENT ON BASIC NEEDS DID THEIR OWN - 8% 4 % SPENT ON EDUCATION VITA 39% ANOTHER FREE PLACE - 5% WHAT CLIENTS INTEND ON DOING IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS 22%... Buying A Car 10%... Investing In Education 3%... Starting A Small Business 3%... Buying A Home 10%... Buying A Computer 12 % SAVED A PORTION For more information regarding services in these counties contact: Five County Association of Governments 1070 West 1600 South Bldg B St. George, UT I I teverrett@fivecounty.utah.gov 12

15 CARBON, EMERY, GRAND & SAN JUAN COUNTIES Earn it. Keep it. Save it. in southeastern Utah is run through the Community Service Block Grant division out of the Southeastern Association of Local Governments. Outreach efforts in the region were focused on reaching rural and tribal communities. A new partnership was established with Utah State University Extension (previously known as College of Eastern Utah) and has allowed expansion of services to students and community members. Virtual VITA is used predominately in this region and has been successful in reaching rural communities. CARBON, EMERY, GRAND & SAN JUAN COUNTIES QUICK FACTS 373 tax returns, 554% increase from previous year $494,000 back into local economy 23 volunteers with 895 hours, saved Utah taxpayers $78,703 in tax preparation fees For more information regarding services in these counties contact: Southeastern Utah Association of Local Governments 375 South Carbon Avenue Price, UT I I mlopan@seualg.utah.gov DAGGETT, DUCHESNE, AND UINTAH COUNTIES Earn it. Keep it. Save it. in the Uintah Basin is off to a wonderful start! Community Action Partnership of Utah is appreciative of the dedication, time and expertise of the volunteer regional coordinator, also the bank manager at the Roosevelt Zions Bank, who donates his time to ensure people in the area have access to free tax preparation. QUICK FACTS 18 tax returns $12,000 back into local economy 3 volunteers with 112 hours, saved Utah taxpayers $3,798 in tax preparation fees DAGGETT, DUCHESNE & UINTAH COUNTIES 13 For more information regarding services in these counties contact: Zions Bank 156 North 200 East Roosevelt, UT I I david.higginson@zionsbank.com

16 MEDIA CAMPAIGN MEDIA CAMPAIGN CAP Utah has recently begun working with Outlandos Media. Through this relationship, CAP Utah designs and implements both a traditional media and social media campaign for tax the season. The traditional media campaign is made up of various newspaper ads placed in appropriate news media, interviews on local TV and radio, op-eds submitted to news media, press releases, and solicitation of news stories. The social media campaign was first implemented in tax year 2012 and saw over 800 Facebook and twitter posts being published driving clients to contact or the website to get their taxes prepared. These efforts combined resulted in over 11,000 people calling and an over 2,000% increase in the number of people visiting the website. The traditional media campaign garnered a total of 17,738,217 media mentions or appearances on the web, in print, on radio or on TV. OVER 17 million media mentions BETWEEN TELEVISION RADIO PRESS RELEASE NEWS PAPER ADS FACEBOOK TWITTER 12,845 visits to RESULTED IN... 11,000+ calls to our hotline IN ONLY DAYS YIELDING A 464% INCREASE OF CONTACTS PER DAY. ACHIEVING A 2,000% INCREASE. 14

17 VOLUNTEERS MATTER! It s no surprise that Earn it. Keep it. Save it. it relies on the commitment and expertise of volunteers throughout the state. With the exception of a few paid staff VITA sites operate solely on volunteer power. All volunteers are welcome to give their time to VITA so long as they complete 15 hours of specialized training and commit to give 3 hours each week during tax season. No small feat! There are many important volunteer roles needed at each VITA site: GREETER these volunteers are the first people clients see. A greeter welcomes the client, has them fill out the necessary paperwork, and then lets them know when a volunteer tax preparer is ready. TAX PREPARER these volunteers are IRS certified in tax law and, utilizing specialized software, prepare taxes for each client. QUALITY REVIEWER these volunteers are also IRS certified and ensure that each tax return was prepared correctly and accurately. FINANCIAL ADVOCATE these volunteers have the opportunity to talk to clients about their personal financial stability and can make necessary referrals to partner agencies. SITE COORDINATOR these volunteers, also IRS certified, ensure that each site runs smoothly and that each client is served appropriately. VOLUNTEERS Each volunteer role is vital to the success of Through the efforts of our volunteers... Over $26.7 Million was returned into our local economy and 19,148 taxpayers were served All made possible by 801 volunteers contributing 28,931 hours of service The many ways Utah taxpayers can access VITA... VIRTUAL VITA utilizes technology in a way previous generations could never before have imagined. Through Virtual VITA, clients located in rural or difficult to access communities have their taxes prepared without leaving their community. All they have to do is go to the designated VITA Intake Center, sign into an already setup computer and then wait for a volunteer tax preparer to either come onto the screen or call a nearby phone. The computer and the internet are utilized to facilitate the conversation between the client and the volunteer tax preparer. A TRADITIONAL VITA site is what many people are familiar with. With this model a client comes to a designated VITA site located in his or her own community. There they are matched with a volunteer tax preparer that will prepare their taxes while they are both face-to-face or side-by-side. FACILITATED SELF ASSISTANCE (FSA) is a wonderful way to access free tax preparation. Utilizing a web-based software that is easy to navigate, a client can go to a designated FSA site and complete his or her own taxes with minimal direction and help from a volunteer tax preparer or they can complete their taxes from the comfort of their own home. All clients need is a computer with internet access and account. FUN FACT about Utah s Earn it. Keep it. Save it. FSA footprint: 3 of the top 10 FSA sites in the region are in Utah (The University of Utah, Brigham Young University, and the Earn it. Keep it. Save it. website The region is comprised of 13 states. 15

18 FINANCIAL INTEGRATION FINANCIAL INTEGRATION Tax preparation is a key part of the Earn it. Keep it. Save it. coalition s work, but over the past few years it has expanded to also include asset building and financial education. During tax year 2012, there was a significant increase in asset building and financial education opportunities. Through the Financial Integration pilot, 4 VITA sites in Salt Lake City were involved in recruiting a new set of volunteers to facilitate live referrals to financial education/asset building partners while clients were at VITA sites. The Financial Integration program was designed to address client financial needs on-site through financial tools and instant partner referrals. Upon arrival at a VITA site, clients met with a financial advocate volunteer who would work with the client to determine a pressing financial need. The financial advocate volunteer would then make a live referral using an integrated database powered by Samaritan Technologies. This approach was designed to speed up the referral process to ensure that clients had all of the resources necessary to become more financially stable Volunteers Hours Unique Referrals BREAKDOWN Individual Development Account...64 Debt Management...85 Credit Report...12 Financial Education...26 Homeowner Crisis...11 FAFSA completion courses College Savings Account...20 IntegraCore...7 Personal Money Mgmt Center...14 Savings Bond purchases...19 ENROLLED 8% IN THE QUE 2% NO CONTACT 3% RESULTS PHONE CONVERSATION 21% LEFT MESSAGE 65% In addition to the Financial Integration pilot, each VITA site provides some sort of financial education, depending on site capacity, and each coalition is encouraged to select the methods that are the best fit for the communities they serve. 16

19 OUR PARTNERS has amazing partners who help us in a variety of ways. Special thanks to everyone who helps us in our successes! AAA Fair Credit Ally Bank America 1st Credit Union American Express 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 BYU CAPU 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 Earn it. Keep it. Save it. 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 Juab USU Extension Office Kane County Volunteer Center Kids on the Move Layton City LDS Employment Services Magna Town Council Manti DWS Meadow-brook School Midtown Clinic Morgan 1st Bank Morgan County Library Mountain America Credit Union Mt. Pleasant Community Center MyFreeTaxes 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 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 UCCU United Way of Salt Lake United Way of Utah County University of Utah Beat Alpha Psi University of Utah DESB University of Utah LDS Institute University of Utah PMMC University of Utah College of Social Work University of Utah Personal Money Management Center Utah State University Blanding Utah State University Eastern Utah State University Extension Moab Utah State University Extension Office- Washington County Utah Council of Cities and Towns Utah Department of Workforce Services Utah Education Savings Plan Wal-Mart Bloomington Washington County Volunteer Center Wayne County Courthouse Weber State University Wells Fargo Bank West Valley City Westminster College Whitesides School Zions Bank OUR PARTNERS 17

20 TESTIMONIALS CLIENT & VOLUNTEER TESTIMONIALS I have been coming to SUU for my taxes for the past several years. Every time I come I love the friendly atmosphere and professionalism. Everything is done correctly, but also in a timely manner. I always suggest the VITA services to my friends and look forward to coming again next year. Rose, Iron County Client VITA has been a very positive experience for those customers we serve. It s nice to be able to talk to them during their DWS appointments and let them know that this service is available to them, free of charge, and that it s housed right here in our office... all they have to do is call 211! The VITA staff that has been housed here have been very friendly and easy to work with. It s a great service! JaNea Lund, Department of Workforce Services, Cache County Partner Zion s Bank really enjoys working with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program. It really helps out our community and especially those in need. The money saved from free tax preparation and money received from the Earned Income Tax Credit gives a boost to our economy. It also helps individuals to pay off bills, reduce debt, put money towards a car, or other necessary items for day to day living. Our organization enjoys partnering with this program and giving back to our local community. Kyle Torgerson, Zions Bank, Sevier County Partner 18

21 CLIENT & VOLUNTEER TESTIMONIALS I was so grateful for the service of tax preparation [at] VITA. Work Force Services [initially referred] me to VITA. This is my 4th year coming to VITA and the volunteers have helped me a lot and have been so friendly. I also invited my parents to come here for their tax preparation. My father had died last year and my mom would be so lost without your help with her taxes. She was worried about taking care of her taxes on her own, without her sweet husband at her side, but [the volunteers] made her feel ok. Thanks so much! Farrelline, Davis County Client TESTIMONIALS One of my great experiences was [preparing] the taxes of a single student who had been going to school for a couple years. She had no idea about the American Opportunity Credit or the Lifetime Learning Credit. So it was nice to be able to tell her about those and basically triple the return she was expecting. She had been [preparing her own] taxes over the years, so she was glad that she came in to the VITA [site] to get them done. Jamie, Cache County Volunteer I helped a single mother of two file her tax return. She told me that the tax refund would help her and her kids a lot. She appreciated my help and told me that she couldn t submit the documents without VITA. I feel happy and blessed to get a chance to volunteer at VITA. It s a place where I can help the community! Amy, Cache County Volunteer 19

22 TESTIMONIALS CLIENT & VOLUNTEER TESTIMONIALS We (my husband and I) have been coming to SUU to get our taxes [prepared] for the past 3 years and we love it! Such a great program, everyone is so nice and willing to help! McKenna, Iron County Client I was able to help an individual who I knew when he was young. I had not seen him for twenty years and it was good to visit with him about his life and his family. He was grateful to have someone help with his tax return and take some of the pressure off from his life. He has faced some hard years and any thing that helps make life a little easier is good for him. Kevin, Cache County Volunteer A local employee of the chamber of commerce came into our tax center and requested assistance with his taxes. He said that he had never heard of VITA before this year, but saw our sign because it was close to his work. Last year he paid $150 plus the e-file fees of about $10. He also brought his daughter and son and we were able to help them also. We were able to do all three saving the family about $450 this year. David, Duchesne County Volunteer 20

23 Through your hard work. in your control. for tomorrow.

24 COU-EKS-ANNUALREPORT 2013-BGDS POVERTY IN UTAH IS REAL. IT DOESN T HAVE TO BE.