Save the Price of a Tax Return

One of the easiest ways to start a savings account is by immediately depositing your tax refund. You could save even more if you didn't have to pay to have your taxes prepared.

The cost to prepare a 1040A tax return is about $60. The 1040, with the standard deduction, is about $130. United Way partners will do it for free for incomes up to $57,000! AARP serves the community also, and are authorized to prepare returns with no income limit.

You can make an appointment at United Way partners throughout Polk, and AARP sites listed at this link, too. Or you can prepare your return yourself at www.myfreetaxes.com/polk . An added benefit of getting your taxes done at United Way's Free-Tax-Prep is you might win a lap top computer, provided by Rent-A-Center. Anyone who has their tax return prepared at a United Way tax partner and saves at least $300 of their refund in a savings account, is entered in a drawing for one of two lap top computers.

United Way is promoting saving to help families become financially stable. Family service partners that used to provide emergency assistance of rent or utilities are working to provide savings tools, credit repair, banking classes and job credentialing to help families keep more of what they earn. Using tax returns to build savings accounts in preparation for financial emergencies is the focus of United Wa's Free-Tax-Prep.