LYNCHBURG, Tenn. — Eighty-five tax returns filed. Roughly $122,000 put back in people’s pockets. Not a single dollar charged in filing fees.
That’s what the United Way of South Central Tennessee’s VITA program delivered to Moore and Coffee County residents this past tax season — and it’s a service most people never hear about until someone tells them it exists.
VITA — Volunteer Income Tax Assistance — is an IRS-supported program that provides free, professionally prepared tax returns to qualifying individuals and families. Trained volunteers do the work at no cost to the taxpayer. This year, more than 80 volunteers logged 6,000 hours across nine sites in the United Way’s seven-county service area, which includes Bedford, Cannon, Coffee, Lincoln, Moore, Rutherford, and Warren counties.
Across that entire region, 3,526 returns were completed. The program saved clients more than $1 million in filing fees and generated $5.1 million in tax refunds — a combined financial impact of $6.1 million. Moore and Coffee counties together accounted for 85 of those returns. Based on the program’s regional averages, that translates to an estimated $122,000 in refunds returned to local households and roughly $24,000 in filing fees those families didn’t have to pay.
{Editor’s Note: Estimated financial figures for Moore and Coffee counties are calculated using program-wide averages provided by UWSCTN and should be treated as approximations.}
WHAT IT ACTUALLY SAVES
For working families in a rural county, the math on tax preparation adds up fast. Commercial tax preparers typically charge anywhere from $150 to $400 or more per return, depending on complexity. For a household earning $35,000 a year, that’s a meaningful hit — money that otherwise stays in the community when it doesn’t go to a national chain.
But the savings aren’t only financial. VITA volunteers are IRS-certified, meaning clients aren’t navigating complex tax law alone or trusting a storefront operation of unknown quality. The program is also designed to maximize refunds — including access to credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit, which many low- and moderate-income filers miss when preparing their own returns.
“Through VITA, we have the privilege of turning tax season into an opportunity — one that helps hardworking families keep more of what they’ve earned and take meaningful steps toward financial security,” said Kristen Swann, President and CEO of the United Way of South Central Tennessee. “With our community’s support, we look forward to reaching even more people through this service next year.”
HOW TO GET INVOLVED NEXT YEAR
This year’s program ran through an extended window after the IRS offered additional filing opportunities due to Winter Storm Fern.
UWSCTN is already looking ahead to the 2027 tax season. Volunteer training is set to begin in fall of 2026. No prior tax experience is required — the program provides full IRS certification training. Residents interested in volunteering or learning more can visit yourlocaluw.org/vita.•
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