The Gies VITA Site will open Tuesday, February 3, 2026! Our site is located at Salt & Light Urbana (our community partner) at 1819 Philo Road, Urbana, Illinois. We are providing free tax preparation services for community members.
Open Hours
In 2026, we can begin your tax return until early April during these open hours:
- Tuesdays, 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- Wednesdays, 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- Thursdays, 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- Fridays, 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- Saturdays, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
We will be closed for Spring Break: Sunday, March 15th until Tuesday, March 23rd.
Eligibility
VITA is sponsored by the IRS (Internal Revenue Service), and the IRS determines what type of tax returns can be done for free. Eligible people include:
- People with low to moderate income (less than $69,000 per household);
- Older adults (over age 60);
- Persons with limited English-speaking ability; and
- Persons with a disability.
You only need to qualify in one of these four categories. In addition, tax returns must be within scope; some income types the Gies VITA site cannot do. For example, non-resident alien tax returns require specialized training and the preparers in this program aren't certified to provide this service. We are not able to prepare Form 1040-NR.
Tax Preparation Process
Onsite volunteers meet with taxpayers (like you) to review their tax documents and to be sure that the Gies VITA site is the best place for their tax return preparations. After the volunteer review is complete, the taxpayer’s documents will be scanned to a secure online Box folder. Taxpayers will take all documents home with them. In the next week or two, their tax return will be prepared. Then, taxpayers need to return to the Salt & Light site to review the tax return before it can be filed with the IRS.
To learn more about the process of filing your tax return with Gies VITA, please visit our website.