United Way of Chautauqua County staff and VITA volunteers gathered recently to celebrate the successful conclusion of the 2025 tax season, during which more than $1.5 million in refunds were returned to local residents through the free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program.
The United Way of Chautauqua County returned more than $1.5 million in tax refunds to the community through its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.
Each year, county residents who qualify can have their taxes prepared at no cost by United Way because of the VITA Program. Community volunteers, who are trained by United Way, do the work of preparing the tax returns.
Volunteers logged a total of 1,504 service hours this year, yet the local demand for the program always outpaces capacity. The agency said that more returns could be prepared if more community members were to volunteer.
This year, the program assisted 1,300 households across the county by preparing 1,231 federal and 1,264 state tax returns. The average adjusted gross income of participating taxpayers was $31,631 this year.
In addition to filing tax returns, volunteers helped maximize eligible tax credits. This year, the program helped county residents claim $431,553 in Earned Income Tax Credits and $186,764 in Child Tax Credits.
The goal of United Way and its volunteers is to ensure that 100% of individuals’ refunds are returned to the taxpayers locally. This year, the VITA Program collectively saved served households more than $325,000 in tax preparation fees.
Appointments are scheduled each year beginning in late January through April and are booked by 2-1-1 Western New York, a free and confidential service funded in part by United Way.
Anyone interested in volunteering to prepare taxes as part of next year’s VITA program, contact United Way of Chautauqua County by calling the Jamestown office at 716-483-1561 or emailing volunteer@uwayscc.org.
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