Capital Area United Way and Our Lady of the Lake offering free tax preparation for community members

Capital Area United Way (CAUW) is launching a free tax preparation site in partnership with Our Lady of the Lake Health to ease financial hardships for low-to-moderate income individuals for the 2025 tax season.

The site, a part of CAUW’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) initiative, opens Wednesday at Our Lady of the Lake Community Impact Center, located at 2041 Silverside Dr. in Baton Rouge. It will close on April 15, 2026, giving individuals the opportunity to have their taxes filed for free by an IRS-certified professional volunteer.

“We are pleased to partner with Our Lady of the Lake Health to bring this valuable service to their employees and local community members,” said George Bell, CAUW President and CEO. “This initiative aligns with our mission to improve financial stability for working families—helping them secure the maximum tax refunds they’ve earned while avoiding costly tax preparation fees.”

The program will require participants to bring key identification items upon arrival:

• A photo ID
• A Social Security Card or ITN for each family member of the household    
• All W-2 forms (wages) and all 1099 and 1098 forms
• A childcare provider's name, address and tax ID number 
• Checking and savings account numbers
• A copy of last year’s tax return
• A 1095-A Health Insurance Marketplace Statement, if available
• Other relevant information about income and expenses

Appointments will be held at the Community Impact Center on Wednesdays beginning at 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Residents can call 211 or visit the VITA website at www.cauw.org/vita to schedule their session.

For more information about the VITA initiative or overall inquiries, please call (225) 382-3503 or email Carol Spruell at carols@cauw.org.