Tax Preparation Services
On This Page:
The Personal Finance Center participates in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program provided in partnership with United Way of Central Florida. Our team of IRS-certified volunteers prepares tax returns at no cost for clients with household incomes of $66,000 or less. We e-file most returns, so if you are due a refund and choose direct deposit, you should receive your refund within a couple of weeks.
More than that, we are passionate about the financial stability of our clients. Building a savings account to help with emergencies is key to becoming financially stable. Our tax experts can help you split your refund to put some cash into savings.
During the 2020 tax season, our tax sites prepared 929 returns with 723 resulting in refunds. Ten percent (93) of our taxpayers deposited their refunds to savings accounts for total savings of $216,019.
2021 Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon:
This year our volunteers went above and beyond the call of duty providing free tax return preparation during the COVID pandemic. On May 27, 2021, we celebrated their hard work at an Appreciation and Awards Luncheon at the Cessna Textron Center at Sun n Fun Aerospace Expo. Thank you, volunteers!
Tarrel Davis presents the awards for Most Returns Filed and Most Dollars Deposited to Savings Accounts to Exploration V Children's Museum. Congratulations and thank you for great work!
2022 Volunteer Opportunities:
Are you interested in being a volunteer? We need greeters and preparers for the 2022 tax season, and would love to have YOU! We provide training free of charge, so you will be confident and competent in your ability to prepare simple tax returns. We schedule training in December, and tax season is the last week of January through the second week of April. We try to place you at your first choice of location, and most volunteers commit one day (about five hours) a week. To volunteer, please call (863) 425-1523, ext 101.
The PFC staff and volunteers celebrate Alice Childs (left), honored as the "2019 Volunteer of the Year." Alice is a five-year volunteer, and our clientele love working with her year after year. Thank you, Alice!
2022 Anticipated Free Tax Preparation Sites
We anticipate operating the following sites during the 2022 tax season. The dates and hours for each site will be posted when finalized in December 2021.
Please be sure to check below for a list of what documents to bring.
Mulberry Community Service Center
211 NW First Avenue
Mulberry, FL 33860
(863) 425-1523
Explorations V Children’s Museum
109 N. Kentucky Avenue
Lakeland, FL 33801
(863) 687-3869
Haines City Library
111 N. 6th Street
Haines City, FL 33844
(863) 425-1523
Busy tax day at the Mulberry Community Service Center
Larry Jackson Library
1700 N. Florida Avenue
Lakeland, FL 33805
(863) 425-1523
Winter Haven Library
325 Avenue A NW
Winter Haven, FL 33881
(863) 425-1523
Women's Resource Center
165 Avenue A NW
Winter Haven, FL 33881
(863) 294-5318
Bartow Church Service Center
495 E. Summerlin Street
Bartow, FL 33830
(863) 533-5822
Salvation Army
2620 Kathleen Road
Lakeland, FL 33810
(863) 853-2214
Fort Meade Library
175 E Broadway St
Fort Meade, FL 33841
(863) 285-8287
One More Child FBCH
1015 Sikes Blvd
Lakeland, FL 33815
(863) 687-8811
Crystal Lake Elementary
903 Lowry Ave #2
Lakeland, FL 33801
(863) 425-1523
Hardee Help Center
713 E Bay St, Wauchula
FL 33873
(863) 425-1523
Florida Southern College
111 Lake Hollingsworth Dr
Lakeland, FL 33801
(863) 425-1523
Planned One Day Taxathons:
What to Bring to Your Tax Appointment:
-
Savings account information including routing number and account number for direct deposit of refund
-
Identification (driver’s license, photo ID, passport)
-
If Married Filing Jointly: Both spouses must be present with photo IDs and Social Security cards or ITIN (individual taxpayer identification number) for everyone listed on the return.
-
Birthdates for you, your spouse, and dependents on the return
-
Wage and earning statements (W-2, W-2G, 1099R, 1099 Misc, Social Security summary)
-
Interest and Dividend Statements (1099-Int, 1099-Div)
-
Forms 1095-A, B, and C Health Coverage Statements or Health Insurance Exemption Certificate
-
Total paid for daycare and the provider’s tax identifying number
-
Any other tax form such as an IRS PIN number
-
Last year’s tax return, if possible