Superior students scrambling to file their taxes last minute have some free options in the Duluth-Superior area.
Community Action Duluth is a Voluntary Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) through the IRS. It offers free tax returns with both walk-ins and appointments available.
Walk-in sessions are available on Sun 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Mon. 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Tue 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.; and Thu 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Appointments are available Tue 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Thu 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The appointment phone number is 218-726-1665 and services end on April 8. Community Action Duluth can be found at 2424 W. 5th St., Duluth, MN, 55806.
Sasha Choporov, tax site coordinator at Community Action Duluth, recommends students come prepared with the right forms to maximize their tax returns. “Students should bring a copy of their social security card, a valid ID, and W2 forms. They should also look for a 1098-T, which is a tuition statement they should get from their college, and a 1098-E, which is an interest statement they should get from their loan servicer if they are paying interest on student loans. They can also file previous years with us, as far back as 2020,” Choporov said.
Choporov also advised that students with children can take advantage of the Minn. child tax credit, up to $1,750 per child. If they have resided in Minn. for a full 12 months, they are eligible for the full tax credit. Parent students who resided in Minn. for part of the year are eligible for a partial tax credit.
Minn. residents also should have received a $260 rebate last year and a corresponding 1099 MISC form from the Minn. Department of Revenue this tax season, as long as they were not claimed as dependents on anyone else’s return in 2021 and filed their 2021 tax return by the April 15, 2022, deadline.
“People need to take advantage of these credits, or the money goes back to the IRS and the state. It’s great for college students to file,” said Choporov.
Northwest Community Service Agency, Inc. (NWCSA) in Superior, Wis., is another VITA program and offers free tax returns to low and middle-income residents in the Duluth-Superior area. To schedule an appointment at the Superior location, call 715-392-5127. At the time of writing, a representative from NWCSA could not be reached for comment.
For more information about Community Action Duluth, visit their website at communityactionduluth.org. For more information about NWCSA visit northwest-csa.org.
