United Way’s Free Tax Prep Coalition returned $14.9 million to taxpayers in 2026
United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania is celebrating the results of another high-impact tax season, made possible with support from Glenmede Trust Company. Between January and April 2026, 361 volunteers with the Free Tax Prep Coalition helped clients file 8,700 returns. Between in-person tax preparation and MyFreeTaxes, United Way’s online free tax filing tool, United Way helped clients in our region file an estimated 9,565 returns, claim $14.9 million in refunds and save $2.6 million in tax prep fees. This year’s 361 Free Tax Prep volunteers represent the most volunteers the coalition has mobilized since 2016.
“Free Tax Prep is an economic engine, putting money into taxpayers’ pockets and into the regional economy,” said Emily Schmidlapp, United Way’s manager of Moving to Financial Stability. “Working families use refunds to buy groceries, pay bills, save for a child’s education and move closer to achieving their financial goals.”
About the Free Tax Prep Coalition: United Way’s Free Tax Prep Coalition is led in partnership with Just Harvest and includes 12 organizations providing free tax preparation services to taxpayers across five counties. Every year, United Way receives funding from the IRS’ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Agencies apply for the opportunity to be Free Tax Prep Coalition partners. Just Harvest leads training for hundreds of local volunteers, who serve taxpayers at more than 20 locations.
Volunteers are trained to maximize the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credits, which can total 50% of a household’s annual income. New in Tax Year 2025, taxpayers who claimed the federal EITC also automatically qualified for the Working Pennsylvania Families Tax Credit, a new state credit equaling 10% of the federal credit and included in the 2025-26 Pennsylvania budget. Since 2009 and including the newest numbers from tax year 2025, the Free Tax Prep Coalition has helped clients file 129,709 tax returns for free, returned $211.8 million in refunds to taxpayers and saved clients an estimated $29.4 million in tax preparation fees.