Taxpayer Opportunity Network Newsletter: July 2023
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Dear John,
Hopefully this email finds you enjoying some well-deserved downtime, or at least looking forward to some after a last push to file returns for any of the 1.5 million taxpayers across the country who have not claimed up to $1.5 billion in Tax Year 2019 refunds and are facing a final deadline to file coming up on Monday, July 17, 2023. If you or the VITA/TCE partner you usually work with are closed for the season, you can still help out those facing this deadline, by pointing them to the IRS VITA/TCE Site Locator Tool to find their nearest open free tax prep location.
Speaking of deadlines, read on for a friendly reminder to register for VITACon 2023 and Camp Prosperity 2023 ASAP to make sure you wind down your summer with some virtual advocacy training from Prosperity Now, and close it out with over 200 of your best friends in tax nerdery in person at VITACon 2023!
In partnership,
Graham O’Neill
Tax Policy Strategist
Prosperity Now
VITACon 2023 is happening in less than two months in Pittsburgh, PA from September 6-8! Join your fellow Taxpayer Opportunity Network members and VITA stakeholders for a three-day event that will feature multiple sessions, networking time, and celebrations of all things community tax preparation. After this event, you should be able to walk away with new connections, innovative ideas, and the tools and resources to continue to drive positive change in your community through free community tax preparation.
Early Bird Registration closes on August 1st so make sure to sign up ASAP to enjoy a discounted rate. You’ll also want to click here to book a room at the Westin Pittsburgh at a preferred VITACon rate of $129/night! Be sure to be there!
Camp Prosperity is BACK for 2023! We want to make sure you’ve had a chance to sign up for this truly amazing program full of enlightening discussions, eye-opening case studies, and resources that will leave you equipped to foster change and achieve racial economic equity in your communities and beyond.
If you have any questions or need further information, please don't hesitate to reach out to [email protected]. Our team is here to ensure your Camp Prosperity experience is nothing short of amazing!
A Special Thank You from United States Secretary of the Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen
Last month, TON was honored to be asked to share a letter from United States Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen that personally extends her thanks to all the VITA/TCE partners and volunteers who diligently follow IRS protocols and provide quality tax assistance to families and individuals year after year. Please share this letter with everyone in your networks and let them know that all of their hard work is not going unnoticed.
DelBene Dispatch: When to Put the Brakes on E-filing Parts 1 & 2 Now Available
We have some excellent beach reads in the form of a DelBene Dispatch double feature brought to us by Christine Speidel, Associate Professor and Director of Villanova Law’s Low Income Tax Clinic. VITA preparers can use this amazing resource to learn more about when they should pump the brakes on filing a return and instead refer the client to their local LITC.
Sign On to Wish the CFPB Happy Birthday
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is celebrating their 12th birthday on Friday, July 21, and Prosperity Now is sending out a birthday card (on social and to Congress) to make sure everyone is aware of this momentous, celebratory occasion!
The CFPB is one of TON’s first national partner organizations and has been instrumental in enforcing fair lending practices, combatting discriminatory lending, and protecting consumers from deceptive financial practices. By providing accessible resources and tools, like the Your Money, Your Goals toolkit used is so many VITA/TCE sites, the Bureau has helped bridge the knowledge gap and fostered financial independence, particularly within historically marginalized populations.
If you have authorization to sign on behalf of your org, please sign on to our card here and wish the CFPB a happy birthday by COB on Wednesday, July 19!
