Enhancing Financial Capability Efforts at Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Sites

This project originated from scholars employed at Washington University’s Social Policy Institute. The Institute integrated with Washington University’s Center for Social Development in January 2025.

During the 2018 tax season, Washington University partnered with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Prosperity Now on an initiative to standardize and enhance the data collection efforts at Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites. These sites provide free tax filing services to low- and moderate-income tax filers, and often provide other services (such as bank account opening, financial coaching, and savings programs) in conjunction with tax filing.

This enhanced data collection, which follows a robust measurement of tax time savings, financial behaviors, and financial well-being in VITA populations, has the potential to substantially increase the knowledge base about who VITA clients are and what works in promoting financial capability at tax time. Additionally, researchers collected follow-up data on the use of the refund among VITA filers, a first for this population. Through this work, Washington University is also partnering with EARN—a financial capability-focused nonprofit—to examine the needs of different tax filing populations, such as online filers, nonprofit participants, and VITA filers.

Funding partners: Prosperity Now

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