{"id":1182,"date":"2026-05-21T10:19:46","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T14:19:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/madison\/?p=1182"},"modified":"2026-05-21T10:19:46","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T14:19:46","slug":"free-tax-help-brings-nearly-50000-back-to-local-communities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/madison\/2026\/05\/free-tax-help-brings-nearly-50000-back-to-local-communities\/","title":{"rendered":"Free Tax Help Brings Nearly $50,000 Back to Local Communities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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This tax season, the UGA Extension Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) program in Madison County helped put thousands of dollars back into the pockets of residents at no cost to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through UGA Extension\u2019s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program here in Madison County, 30 individuals and families received support and guidance. In total, 24 tax returns were prepared or facilitated through UGA\u2019s network of trained professionals. The program reached far beyond Madison County though, serving residents in Georgia and South Carolina. In Georgia, that included Madison, Jackson, Clarke, Elbert, Franklin and Hart counties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The financial impact was significant. Families received a combined $22, 789 in federal refunds and $6,135 in state refunds. Many also qualified for additional tax credits, including the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just as important, participants avoided expensive tax preparation fees. With an estimated savings of $400 per return, the program helped families keep $9,600 in their own pockets. Altogether, the total economic impact of the program is estimated at nearly $50,000  for the communities served.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many, the experience was more than just financial, it was emotional. One participant shared, \u201cI tried to file on my own and I thought I was going to owe. I was so surprised when I found out I was getting a refund.\u201d Others are relieved of the simple 2 step process that saved them money from filing and the headache of having to figure it out themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of the program\u2019s strong success and positive community response, UGA Extension plans to continue offering VITA services in 2027, with the goal of reaching even more individuals and families in need. Programs like this highlight the ongoing commitment of UGA Extension in Madison County to support financial well-being and provide practical, trusted resources to the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Residents are encouraged to be on the lookout for more impactful programming offered throughout the year by UGA Extension in Madison County. To stay informed about upcoming programs, resources, and events, follow along on Facebook or Instagram, and visit our website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This tax season, the UGA Extension Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) program in Madison County helped put thousands of dollars back into the pockets of residents at no cost to them. Through UGA Extension\u2019s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program here in Madison County, 30 individuals and families received support and guidance. In total, 24 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":538,"featured_media":1183,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[172],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1182","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-facs"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1182","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/538"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1182"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1182\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1184,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1182\/revisions\/1184"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1183"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/madison\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}