Planning for taxes-and getting professional help when needed-can reduce frustration and help you keep more of what you work so hard to earn.

An award-winning non-profit, the Center for Economic Progress (CEP) helps hard-working, low-income families move from financial uncertainty to financial security. We offer a full-range of tax and financial services to help families acquire the knowledge, skills, tools and confidence to make sound financial choices.  

From January thru April, CEP has free tax sites in communities throughout Illinois. Each year, thanks to our 800+ IRS-certified volunteer corps, we help nearly 20,000 Illinois families file their taxes and get all the tax credits they've earned and refunds they're owed. Our free tax sites are more than a place to get your taxes done. At most sites, you'll be able to open a bank account, learn ways to save for the future, and better manage your money.

We provide free tax help to:

• Families with incomes less than $50,000
• Individuals with incomes less than $25,000

What should you bring with you to receive free tax services?

To get our free tax services, you MUST bring with you:

Find a CEP tax site near you by visiting www.economicprogress.org.

Year-Round Tax Tips

Remember that planning for taxes isn't just something you should do each spring. Make it part of your mindset to think year-round about reducing taxes and then making the most of your refund when you receive it.

• Make the most of the federal W-4 form. Adjust your allowances to help you meet your money goals.
• Donate items to charitable organizations (clothes, household goods, etc.) and save receipts so that you can claim a charitable deduction.
• Keep good records. Having files organized makes it easier to find information (receipts, medical claim forms, etc.) when you need it. Keep tax records for at least three years.
• If you are self-employed, it's especially important to keep good records since you may able to take a deduction for work-related expenses.
• Plan ahead for how you'll spend any tax refund you receive.
• Most important, see if you can claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), the Child Tax Credit or other homeowner tax credits that could increase your tax refund or lower your tax payment. Get all the tax credits you deserve.

Flyer 2014 Tax Sites

Volante en Español Sitios para hacer sus impuestos

Center for Economic Progress Program Flyer

Submitted by Raissa Allaire, COO of Center for Economic Progress

Please don't forget to mail in your Proof of Residency Affidavit along with backup documentation for 2014.  We have provided you with a self-addressed stamped envelope to return the documents to us.

If you don't get your yearly 1098 statement from your mortgage lender, you should give them a call or go online to download the document.  This document gives you totals of what the mortgage servicer paid in 2013 for property taxes and how much interest you paid.  You will need this to file your taxes.

CCLT Homeowner, Anh Pham send in the following tip:

If you own a home, most likely you can and should itemize your deductions which means you can deduct mortgage interests and property taxes so look for your tax documents in the mail and make sure you keep receipts of your paid property taxes if you paid outside of escrow in 2013. 

You can also deduct cash and non-cash charitable donations so keep those letters that the non-profit organizations send you with your contribution amounts as well as those receipts from your Salvation Army donations.

Don't forget to claim your IL property tax credit on your State return.

If you bought a new car in 2013, make sure you save the receipt showing how much sales tax you paid because that is deductible as well if you choose the sales tax decution.

Hope these tips help! 

Rosanna A. Márquez is a proven community leader with extensive experience in the public, private and nonprofit sectors.

Most recently, Ms. Márquez was the President and CEO of the Eleanor Foundation, which had a 113-year history of fostering independence and economic self-sufficiency among working women of modest means throughout Chicago.   She was recruited in 2002 to oversee the transformation of the organization from direct service provider to a research-oriented grant-making foundation. Through 2011, the Foundation made over $5.0 million in grants to launch programs designed to bridge the last hurdle to financial independence faced by lower-income working single mothers. It also commissioned several pieces of groundbreaking research used by policymakers, service providers, and reported on by local and national media. The Eleanor Foundation was merged into the larger Chicago Foundation for Women in 2012.

From 1998 to 2001, Ms. Márquez served as the Regional Administrator for the Midwest Region of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development ("HUD").   In that capacity, she oversaw implementation and evaluation of over $3 billion in annual HUD funding for programs over a six-state region, encompassing Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.   HUD programs cover a broad range of economic and community development and affordable housing activity.

Before that, Ms. Márquez was a cabinet-level member of Mayor Richard M. Daley's administration in Chicago. There, she spearheaded a number of initiatives, and represented the City of Chicago on a number of boards and inter-agency task forces.

Before entering public service, Ms. Márquez was a litigation attorney with the Chicago based international law firm Mayer Brown.

Ms. Márquez is a graduate with honors of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and of the Harvard Law School.

Ms. Márquez is active in many civic and non-profit activities.   Among other things, she is currently the President of the Board of the Chicago Metropolitan Housing Development Corporation, a Board member of the Chicago Community Land Trust, Teatro Vista, and of Business and Professional People in the Public Interest (BPI); and past President of the Board of Leadership Greater Chicago.

CCLT Interview with Ms. Marquez:

Since when have you been involved with the CCLT?