Davis, Morgan tax-help sites assist more than 1,000 people in 2010

FRUIT HEIGHTS — More than 1,000 people took advantage of free tax services offered in Morgan and Davis counties this year through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, or VITA, program.

Elizabeth Robins, the program's regional coordinator, told the Davis County Council of Governments on Wednesday that 1,046 people received assistance at the nine sites in Davis County and one site in Morgan County.

Clients filing returns electronically received a total of more than $1.6 million in federal tax refunds. Of that total, the group received $567,797 in the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, Robins said.

VITA, sponsored nationally by the IRS and locally by nonprofit organizations, provides IRS-certified volunteers to help with tax-preparation services for people with annual incomes of $49,000 or lower. The volunteers also promote financial literacy, Robins said.

— Brice Wallace