Free Tax Preparation to Be Offered at Cleveland Central Catholic High School

CLEVELAND, Feb. 10, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Third Federal Savings & Loan TFSL is partnering with Neighborhood Housing Services of Cleveland, Central Catholic High School, Cuyahoga County, the City of Cleveland, Enterprise Community Partners, and several other non-profit organizations to offer free income tax preparation assistance for individuals & families earning $50,000 a year or less. IRS trained and certified tax preparers will also help tax filers identify their eligibility for the Earned Income Tax Credit.

The Federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) was introduced in 1975 with bipartisan support to help working families with children rise above the poverty line. As a result, the EITC is widely considered to be the nation's largest poverty relief program – and its role as a community economic development tool is significant since most tax credit recipients use their refunds to purchase essentials in their local communities. "This makes the Super Refund Saturday EITC event critically important to Cleveland and local efforts to help working families achieve greater economic stability," says Lou Tisler, executive director of NHS of Greater Cleveland. NHS of Greater Cleveland is an active participant in the Cuyahoga EITC Coalition.

This Super Refund Saturday EITC event will take place Saturday, Feb. 15, 2014, from 9 am – 1 pm, at Cleveland Central Catholic High School, 6550 Baxter Avenue, Cleveland Ohio. Volunteer IRS certified tax preparers will be available to assist participants in filing their returns electronically. Participants who wish to attend the event should dial 2-1-1 to make an appointment and to receive information on what identification and documents they will need to bring with them to receive the FREE tax preparation assistance.

"On behalf of all of the Super Refund Saturday partners, we are proud to support our communities and residents by offering this service," said Maria Thompson, manager of Community Development Services for Third Federal. "It is free to qualified participants, and removes the stress, confusion and cost associated with filing taxes."

Third Federal Savings and Loan is a leading provider of savings and mortgage products, and operates under the values of love, trust, respect, a commitment to excellence and fun. Founded in Cleveland in 1938 as a mutual association by Ben and Gerome Stefanski, Third Federal's mission is to help people achieve the dream of home ownership and financial security. It became a public company in 2007 and celebrated its 75^th anniversary in May, 2013. The Association, which lends in 14 states, is dedicated to serving consumers with competitive rates and outstanding service. Third Federal, an equal housing lender, has 21 full service branches in Northeast Ohio, eight lending offices in Central and Southern Ohio, and 17 full service branches throughout Florida. As of December 31, 2013, Third Federal assets totaled $11.3 billion.