DC CASH Campaign 2006
Free Online Tax Filing Services Helps Low-Income Residents
The Challenge
For yet another tax season, DC CASH campaign which helps low income residents to file their taxes free of charge, took place in Wards 5, 7, and 8 of the
Taxes are filed electronically via the internet from each site and a copy of the return is printed for the residents for their records. Reliable computers and printers are essential to a smooth operation. Without them, the work and time of both volunteer and taxpayer are wasted and considerable frustration is experienced by all. Unreliable technology had been a problem in the past and cited as a cause for volunteer turnover.
The Solution
For the second year in a row, DC CASH engaged the NPower team to provide technology support for the six sites across DC. Drawing on past experience, NPower techs surveyed each site before the start of tax season to determine the state of the technology. Computers and printers were tested and necessary upgrades were made in advance. As a result, every site had a stable network when it opened for business. NPower provided on-call service and conducted weekly maintenance visits as needed. An on-line ticketing system allowed the administrators at each site to report any problems in a timely way.
The Impact
Smoothly operating technology contributed to a very successful year for the DC Cash Campaign. This year even more residents took advantage of the free service and overall tax returns were up 15% from last year. Overall, 1,000 plus residents filed electronic returns for a total of 1.5 million dollars going back to the communities. That?s an average of $1,800 per taxpayer, all of whom had a family income of less than $38,000.
"As an onsite administrator for the tax prep site I need to know that our technology is working. The NPower team did a great job of supporting us, and more of our residents could file their taxes online thanks to this program."-- Erik Claggett, Site Manager/Computer Instructor,
