Neighborhood Tax Centers

Project Description

Through Harris County's three-year investment in tax preparation assistance, the BakerRipley Neighborhood Tax Centers (NTC) program will help more than 40,000 families prepare tax returns, capture EITC and CTC, and secure ITINs, expanding reach through 12 mobile tax assistance sites. This investment will return around $70 million in net refunds to Harris County families and save an estimated $10 million in tax preparation fees. Funds will be exclusively used for direct staff costs for tax preparation, program communications, and outreach. Populations served include extremely low-income families, households with low education levels, disabilities, or limited internet access, and mixed immigration status households. To measure the impact of this program, BakerRipley is tracking households that receive information about tax assistance, the number of households filing taxes as a result of assistance, net refunds captured, ITINs secured, and other key metrics on tax-related activities.

PRIMARY PARTNERSHIPS

TARGET IMPACT

Goals of this program include:

  • Remove language and disability barriers
  • Ensure citizens claim all available tax credits
  • Assist with ITIN preparation
  • Protect citizens from predatory tax-related services
  • Connect citizens to financial stability and workforce services

KPIs for this program include:

  • Number of individuals provided information on BakerRipley’s tax services
  • Number of households filing taxes
  • Number of children claimed under the CTC
  • Number of households obtaining an ITIN
  • Number of households receiving an EITC
  • Number of households reached who received assistance
  • Proportion of households reached who claimed the CTC
  • Number of in-person consultations
  • Total amount of CTC money

WEBSITE LINK

USE OF EVIDENCE & PROGRAM EVALUATIONS

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a source of economic hardship for families and individuals in Harris County. BakerRipley NTC program provides hard-working families with much-needed tax assistance, leading to increased financial stability and poverty reduction for thousands of families across Harris County. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities shared that in 2015, the EITC lifted about 6.5 million people out of poverty. By ensuring Harris County residents claim this and all other available tax credits and offering no-cost tax preparation, the NTC program can help alleviate the economic burden caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The NTC program will focus on vulnerable populations to help transition families out of poverty.