The Voluntary Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program is set to help low income residents by preparing their short form taxes for free. Yes -- free.

While a lot of us gather our respective documents to get our taxes done, there are those who do not file because they don't have the money to pay someone to do them. The VITA program, created by the IRS, is designed to eliminate this problem.

The Pahrump branch of the Nevada Federal Credit Union has brought VITA to those who can't pay. Preparation classes were held Jan. 5-7. Other classes will continue to be held.

Rosi Chicas, Community Outreach AVP for Nevada Federal Credit Union and instructor for the class, said, "I've been a volunteer for three years, but this is my first year as an instructor. It's a great program and I wanted to bring it to Pahrump. It adds another service offered to residents at no cost for those who qualify."

Six volunteers attended the class. Those who complete it successfully were certified to prepare the simple tax returns by the IRS. These are the basic forms, not the itemized ones.

Class member Maria Ochoa, who has the added benefit of being bilingual, said, "The program is very self explanatory, easy to follow and very interesting. Others should volunteer, especially if they are multi-lingual."

Marsha Kenyon, branch manager said, "We are offering this service to those who qualify. Individuals cannot have a yearly gross income exceeding $42,000 dollars and only need the basic IRS forms 1040EZ or 1040 (no itemization)."

The service will be offered from Jan. 15 to April 15 and held by appointment only at the credit union. Appointments will take one hour, including electronic filing (E-filing). You need to bring identification, W-2 forms, 1099 forms, your Social Security number and a blank check if E-filing is desired.

Kenyon went on to say, "One of the things that people aren't getting the benefit of is the Earned Income Credit. As a result, these available funds are not used." This credit can be very beneficial to those with a low annual income. More information on this is available during a scheduled appointment.

Thomas Waters said about the class, "I believe the overall program is very worthwhile. This is something to aid our community and those earning under $42,000 per year. This is a free tax service that can also permit the tax filers to receive the earned income tax credit up to as much as $4,824."

There are many issues that can be addressed on these simple forms, such as exemptions of children, unemployment income and working in another state.

If you have not received a form W-2 from your employer in a reasonable period of time (within 30-60 days), you should call 1-800-829-1040 for advice and assistance.

To set up an appointment after Jan. 15, call 775-751-9880, x4664 for English or x4663 for Spanish. They provide service to all, who until now, have been underserved in preparation of their tax forms.

The credit union also works with No to Abuse and the Resource Center to help people with tax issues.