Free Tax Prep Help for Bronx Residents

Nearly 4,000 Returns Filed, $5.4 Million in Refunds Since Program Started in 2004; CheckSpring Bank to Host Program, Offers Help to Unbanked and Underbanked.

NEW YORK, Jan. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Starting today, Ariva, a Bronx-based non-profit organization providing wealth building knowledge and tools, is providing tax preparation and financial literacy classes to low and moderate-income Bronx area residents. The Ariva program will be hosted at CheckSpring, 69 East 167th St., Bronx, NY.

Ariva will provide over 60 free tax-prep sessions at CheckSpring's location Mondays through Thursdays from 4-7:30 p.m. and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturdays through mid-April 2008. Ariva also be providing 30 mobile tax preparation days at sites in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Brooklyn with the partnership of Signature Bank, Fifth Avenue Committee, Mosholu Preservation Corp, Asociacion de Tepeyac, Ridgewood Savings Bank, Community Board 12, Bronx House, and Parkchester Enhancement Program for Seniors (PEP).

After receiving assistance with their taxes, Ariva customers will be eligible to open accounts with CheckSpring, which works closely with community organizations in supporting financial education and providing products and tools needed to manage financial resources. The CheckSpring Access Account provides tax filers with an account for direct deposit of refunds so you can get an electronic payment from the IRS. When combined with E-FILE, customers can expect to receive refunds more quickly (IRS processing times may vary). The Access Account provides an ATM card used to withdraw money for free from MoneyPass(R) ATM's. The card can be used for Point of Sale and Cash Back transactions or at any ATM.

Ariva has partnered with New York Cares to recruit some 80 dedicated and talented volunteers who undergo extensive training to be certified by the IRS. The total volunteer effort will be over 2,000 hours this tax season.

Members of the local and financial news media are invited to observe a Free Tax Preparation Day, and speak with Ariva and CheckSpring representatives on February 23, 2008 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

In partnership with the Internal Revenue Service, ARIVA's Tax Assistance Center is a free tax assistance and preparation site for people who cannot afford professional assistance. ARIVA helps prepare basic tax returns for taxpayers with low-to-middle incomes, including persons with disabilities, limited-English proficiency, and elderly taxpayers. Since 2004, Ariva has facilitated the filing of 3,990 tax returns yielding $5.4 million in refunds.


ABOUT ARIVA

In 2007, Ariva completed 2,102 tax returns and helped taxpayers receive over $3,037,736 in refunds from the IRS and New York State, including the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) geared to moderate- and low-income households. Now, Ariva is stepping up its commitment to promoting individual wealth and economic development in underserved communities with improved access to financial services and education. For more information about the Ariva free tax program and workshops, call Kelly Dillon or send an email to kdillon@arivaonline.com. More information about Ariva also is available on the Web at http://www.arivaonline.com/.


ABOUT CHECKSPRING

CheckSpring inaugurated the first Branch of its new Bank on November 5, 2007. As the first bank founded in the Bronx in over 25 years, CheckSpring Bank is making a strong commitment to the community CheckSpring thrives with "unbanked" communities with a niche focus; that goes much farther than check cashers by providing check cashing customers with the ability to establish bank accounts. CheckSpring has created a unique and cost-effective approach to banking inner-city communities and clientele. CheckSpring is currently adding services and is focused on identifying additional locations to provide its services.