Hopelink Hosts Free Tax Preparation Service

Working families looking for free assistance with their 2007 tax returns and access to the Earned Income Tax Credit can get the help they need at Hopelink’s Bellevue and Shoreline centers. Hopelink, the largest human services agency serving east and north King County, is again hosting volunteers for United Way’s tax preparation service through April 15.

United Way of King County’s “Free Tax Preparation Campaign” shows low-income working people how to take advantage of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and other tax credits, which help them keep more of their hard-earned money, increase their incomes, create savings and avoid the costs of commercial tax return preparation. Working families at a low or moderate income level may be entitled to as much as $4,716 back through the EITC.

Hopelink’s Bellevue and Shoreline centers will have volunteers available to help with basic individual tax returns on the following schedule. (Help is not provided for business tax returns, or individual returns that involve sale of property or stock, or rental income.) Assistance is on a first-come, first-served basis; no appointment is necessary.

• Hopelink’s Bellevue center, 14812 Main Street - Tuesdays from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (assistance available in Tamil and Russian, in addition to English, at this time); Thursdays from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (assistance available in Spanish, in addition to English, at this time); and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (assistance available in Hindi, in addition to English, at this time).
• Hopelink’s Shoreline center, 15809 Westminster Way N (next to Marshall’s in the Aurora Square Plaza) – Wednesdays from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Other assistance available includes help with signing up for certain public benefits, multilingual services and applications for individual tax payer identification numbers for immigrants, and information and referral to credit and debt counseling sources, financial education, home ownership counseling and individual development accounts.

For more information, call 2-1-1 or 1-877-211-9274

About Hopelink
Since 1971, Hopelink has served homeless and low-income families, children, seniors and people with disabilities in north and east King County by promoting self-sufficiency for all members of our community and helping people make lasting change. Hopelink assists people with meeting their needs for food, shelter, homelessness prevention, child development, family development and stabilization, transportation and adult literacy skills. For more information on Hopelink and its services, call 425.869.6000 or visit www.hope-link.org.

Media Contacts
Denise Stephens, Public Relations Specialist, office: 425.869.2440, denises@hope-link.org
Glen Miller, Communications Manager, office: 425.869.6025, cell: 206.790.5410, glenm@hope-link.org