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Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) - Free Income Tax Preparation

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If you or your family earned less than $70,244 in 2026, you may qualify for this free service!

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program is a national program sponsored by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to help families maximize their tax returns and avoid the fees businesses charge to prepare taxes. Northern Virginia CASH is a coalition of community partners who support the VITA sites in Northern Virginia. Since 2008 Fairfax County Department of Family Services has provided operational support to the coalition partners.

In 2026, the Department of Family Services VITA program prepared a total of 2,359 tax returns which yielded a total federal tax refund amount of $3,297,164. In addition, VITA helped individuals and families claim $1,241,330 in Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC), further maximizing tax benefits to support households.

In-person VITA services are available at several sites in Northern Virginia. Walk-ins are welcome, no appointments are needed. For more information, please send an email or call 703-533-5320 (please leave a message).

VITA Tax Season 2026 preparation services begin January 2027.

You qualify for VITA services this year if you made $70,244 or less in 2026.

If your earned income doesn’t require you to file a tax return, we still encourage you to visit us to file for free. You may qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit, a refundable tax credit for working individuals and families.

If you don’t qualify for VITA, there are other free filing options:

What to Bring:

Photo ID for you and your spouse if filling jointly.
All income statements: W-2, W-2G & 1099 etc.
All income statements for each working dependent: W-2, etc.
Social Security card or ITIN letter for all family members.
- This includes returning customers
- Social Security card must be a photocopy of your card or the original card. It must match your W-2.
Voided check for direct deposit.
Expense documents: dependent care, education-related expenses, home mortgage interest payments.
Forms 1095-A from the Marketplace for those claiming the Premium Tax Credit.

Learn more about what to bring. For more information on how to get yourself ready to prepare your taxes, check out IRS videos.

For more information on how to get yourself ready to prepare your taxes, check out tips from the IRS.

Employment Resource Center (Reston)
11484 Washington Plaza W.

Tuesdays: 3:30-7 p.m.
Saturdays: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
January 30 - April 13, 2027

Gerry Hyland Government Center (Alexandria)
8350 Richmond Hwy.

Tuesdays & Wednesdays: 6-8 p.m.
Saturdays: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
January 30 - April 14, 2027

Neighborhood Resource Center (Herndon)
1086 Elden St.

Thursdays: 6-8 p.m.
Saturdays: 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
February 5 - April 15, 2027

Site will be closed for Presidents’ Day weekend (2/13-2/15)

Virginia Career Works (Annandale)
7611 Little River Turnpike 300W

Tuesdays & Thursdays: 4-6:30 p.m.
Saturdays: 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.
January 28 – April 13, 2027

VITA runs on volunteers. Volunteers serve essential roles:

Tax preparers
Tax screeners
Greeters
Interpreters

What’s Expected of Me?
You do not need to be a tax expert, and no prior experience is required! All volunteers should understand and speak English, enjoy meeting people, and be detail oriented.

We provide free training for all volunteers and will be happy to answer your questions. Training begins after Thanksgiving and runs through December.

Volunteers serve from late January through late April. Volunteer sessions are 3-5 hours a weeknight and/or Saturday each week for 12 weeks. See above for site locations and hours.

Do I Need to be Certified?
All volunteers must pass the IRS Standards of Conduct (about one hour to complete). All tax preparers and screeners must also pass the IRS Basic test (about four hours to complete and receive certification).

Advanced Tax Return Preparers who meet the requirements can also receive CE credits from the IRS.

Will My Volunteer Effort Really Make a Difference?
Yes! Last year, 186 IRS-certified volunteers contributed 5,789 hours to help 2,359 households file their tax returns. Thanks to their efforts, VITA clients received a total of $3,297,164 in federal and state tax refunds, with an average refund of $2,480. These dollars go directly back into the local economy, helping families pay rent, buy groceries, cover medical expenses, and build savings.

I’m Ready to Volunteer
Complete the registration form by Friday, January 15, 2027. You can also contact us at DFSVITA@fairfaxcounty.gov or call 703-533-5320.

_{*Fairfax County is committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of disability in all county programs, services and activities. To request reasonable accommodations or to receive this information in an alternate format, send an email or call 703-533-5702; TTY 711.

Neither the NVACASH Coalition, Fairfax County Government nor any of their employees or volunteers make any warranty, expressed or implied including the warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately-owned rights.}

_{NVACASH Coalition, Fairfax County Government nor any of their employees or volunteers are not responsible for the contents of any off-site pages referenced through links. The responsibility for content rests solely with the organizations that are providing the information. Specific details regarding a document should be directed to the appropriate organization. All support issues should be addressed to the provider you select. Please note that online filing providers may charge a fee for their service.}

Department of Family Services - Employment and Training

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Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) - Free Income Tax Preparation

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