Bringing $ Back to Native Communities During Tax Time

Last tax season, members of the Great Plains Native Asset Building Coalition, a group of organizations and institutions that work to expand asset development strategies in low-income Native American communities, announced the collective impact of their free tax preparation sites, also known as Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites. The Cheyenne River, Crow Creek, and Pine Ridge Reservation VITA sites, operated by IRS-certified volunteers, processed 879 tax returns, bringing $2.2 million in refunds back to their reservation communities and saving tax payers an estimated $220,000 in preparation fees.