Goodwill offering free tax help for families

Goodwill Hawaii is taking appointments to help low-income individuals or families prepare and file their taxes for free at seven locations statewide from Jan. 29 through April 7.

To qualify, individuals or families must have earned $54,000 or less in 2017 and not own a home or business.

“Filing taxes can be a very daunting and stressful task, but we’ve got a great team of IRS certified, volunteer tax filers who are eager to assist and make the process seamless from start to finish,” said Katy Chen, chief operating officer of Goodwill Hawaii in a press release. “Last year, families who came to Goodwill Hawaii for assistance received an average refund of $2,000. The best part of our service is families can keep their entire refund whereas other tax return preparers usually charge a fee or take a percentage of the refund.”

Eligible participants can schedule an appointment online or by calling 836-0313 to visit one of the seven tax clinics opening statewide starting next Monday. ­

The clinics will be available in Honolulu, Kapolei and Windward Oahu, Hilo and Kona on Hawaii island, Kahului, Maui and Lihue, Kauai.

This year, Goodwill is also offering drop-off services (with the exception of the Windward Oahu clinic), which will be available 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, with a three-day turnaround time.

Participants are encouraged to visit Goodwill Hawaii’s website prior to their appointment and to bring necessary documents. Walk-ins will be accepted for in-person appointments only on a first-come, first-serve basis. Only one individual or household will be served per appointment.

Last year, Goodwill Hawaii assisted more than 2,200 households in filing their federal and state tax returns, resulting in more than $4 million in tax refunds and credits.

A list of locations and hours of operation is available here.