Free Tax Help for Low Income Families

Goodwill Hawai‘i is now taking appointments to help individuals or families – who earned $54,000 or less in 2017 and do not own a home or business – prepare and file their taxes for free. New this year, in addition to the in-person appointments Goodwill is offering drop-off services at all of its clinic locations except Windward O‘ahu.

Image courtesy AARP Foundation.

“Filing taxes can be a very daunting and stressful task, but we’ve got a great team of IRS certified, volunteer tax filers who are eager to assist and make the process seamless from start to finish,” said chief operating officer of Goodwill Hawai‘i Katy Chen. “Last year, families who came to Goodwill Hawai‘i for assistance received an average refund of $2,000. The best part of our service is families can keep their entire refund whereas other tax return preparers usually charge a fee or take a percentage of the refund.”

Eligible participants can schedule an appointment online or by calling (808) 836-0313 to visit one of the seven tax clinics opening statewide from Monday, Jan. 29 through Saturday, April 7, 2018.

Locations include three on O‘ahu in Honolulu, Kapolei and Windward O‘ahu, two on the Big Island in Hilo and Kona, one in Kahului, Maui and one in Līhu‘e, Kauai. Drop-off services will be available from Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a three-day turnaround time. A complete list of locations and their hours of operations can be found below.

Participants should visit Goodwill Hawai‘i’s website prior to their appointment to be prepared to bring with them the necessary documents. Walk-ins will be accepted for in-person appointments only on a first-come, first-serve basis. Only one individual or household will be served per appointment.

The nonprofit organization, whose mission is to help people with employment barriers reach their full potential and become self-sufficient, has been offering this community service for 14 years in partnership with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Aloha United Way.

Last season, Goodwill Hawai‘i assisted more than 2,200 households to file their Federal and Hawai‘i State tax returns who received over $4 million in tax refunds and credits. On average, each household serviced by Goodwill received a tax refund of $2,000.

The following is a list of the Goodwill Hawai‘i operated free tax clinic locations and their hours of operation:

O‘ahu Locations:

• Honolulu Clinic – Goodwill Beretania Office, 1072 Young Street Room 102, In-person appointments: Tuesday and Thursday, 2 to 6 p.m. and Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Drop-off appointments: Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Kapolei Clinic – Goodwill Kapolei – ‘Ohana Career & Learning Center, 2140 Lauwiliwili Street, In-person appointments: Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Drop-off appointments: Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Windward O‘ahu Clinic – LINIC, Windward Community College, 45-720 Keaahala Road, Alakai Building Room 129. In-person appointments: Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Drop-off appointments not available at this location.

Big Island Locations:

• Kona Clinic – Goodwill Kona Office, 74-5599 Luhia Street Suite F-4. In-person appointments: First and Third Wednesday of every month, 2 to 5 p.m. Drop-off appointments: Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Hilo Clinic – Goodwill Hilo Office, 200 Kanoelehua Ave. Suite 102. In-person appointments: Tuesday and Thursday, 2 to 6 p.m., Second Saturday of every month, 9:30  a.m. to 1 p.m.Drop-off appointments: Tuesday through Thursday, 10 am. to 2 p.m.

Maui Location:

• Maui Clinic – Goodwill Maui Office, 250 Alamaha Street Suite N-16A, Kahului. In-person appointments: Monday and Wednesday, 2 to 6 p.m. Second Saturday of every month, 9:30 am to 1 p.m. Drop-off appointments: Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Kaua‘i Location:

• Kaua‘i Clinic – Goodwill Kaua‘i Office, 4334 Rice St. Suite 205, Līhu‘e. In-person appointments: First and Third Thursday of every month, 2 to 5 p.m. Drop-off appointments: Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.