In an inspiring demonstration of community commitment, volunteers from the United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades’ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program have generated a $12.1 million economic benefit for Southwest Florida.
Through the program, 234 IRS certified volunteers completed 8,483 tax returns, resulting in $8.9 million in refunds. Another $3.2 million in fees saved and time contributed by the volunteers resulted in the total community impact reaching $12.1 million.
The United Way VITA program assists households earning $66,000 or less by preparing and e-filing federal tax returns free of charge, ensuring maximum refunds through tax credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, and American Opportunity Tax Credit. For many families, these refunds mean the difference between making ends meet and facing financial hardship.
This year’s tax preparation season saw expansion to new communities and 68 new volunteers. The program was held at 21 tax sites and hosted 12 special events across five counties.
The results couldn’t have been achieved without the overwhelming support of local partners that include financial institutions, schools, libraries, churches, youth centers, and partner agencies. Their collaboration and commitment have been essential to VITA’s success.
Mary Meador, Senior Volunteer Engagement and VITA Program Manager at United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades, shared her excitement regarding the economic benefit to the community, “I’m incredibly proud of our volunteers. Their dedication to helping the community prepare tax returns and ease the burden of dealing with the IRS has been truly inspiring. While most taxpayers find us through word of mouth from their friends and coworkers, we also receive many referrals from the IRS. We know tax time can be stressful, and we hear time and again how VITA makes it easy and takes the stress out of tax time.”
Year-round VITA tax assistance is available in Bonita Springs, Estero-San Carlos, Lehigh Acres, Fort Myers, North Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Port Charlotte, LaBelle, and Immokalee. A virtual team is available at GetYourRefund.org/uwlee. VITA sites operate by appointment only. To schedule an appointment please call 239-433-3900. Those who prefer to file independently can do so free of charge at MyFreeTaxes.com if their total household income is under $66,000.
Volunteer Recruitment for the 2026 tax season is underway. To learn more and join the United Way VITA program, visit UnitedWayLee.org/vita-volunteer/. VITA is recruiting volunteers to serve as tax preparers, greeters, and interpreters.