Mayor Scott, Gov. Moore unite to tout CASH Campaign of Maryland
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and Gov. Wes Moore will kick off tax season by highlighting the 24th year of the CASH Campaign of Maryland, a free tax preparation service for household incomes under $67,000.
The CASH Campaign was established as a new nonprofit organization in 2017 after the merger of CASH Campaigns of Baltimore and Maryland to create one unified consortium.
The nonprofit partners include foundations, nonprofits, community-based organizations, government agencies, the Internal Revenue Service and hundreds of volunteers.
Scott and Moore are holding a press conference at UMBC on Friday to laud the campaign and will be joined by IRS Commissioner Douglas O'Donnell, Comptroller Brooke Lierman, local officials and representatives from the CASH Campaign.
The event will emphasize the importance of ensuring that low-to-moderate-income Marylanders have access to resources for tax filing assistance.
Tax filers can qualify for the credit based on factors such as family size, filing status and income.
In addition to tax preparation, the CASH Campaign provides free financial education classes statewide covering a variety of topics. Maryland residents can also get one-on-one support to reach your financial goals in-person or online.
Marylanders can find their eligible benefits through a free comprehensive screening.
Last year, CASH Campaign filed 17,821 taxes, including 6,823 from Baltimore, according to the organization's 2024 Mid-Year Impact Report. Users around the state received $28.3 million in tax returns, while Baltimore residents got back $11.4 million.
IRS-certified volunteers and CASH staff will help prepare and electronically file residents' federal and state returns. Volunteers also can help people open low-cost or free bank accounts in which to direct deposit refunds.
Baltimore City officials have warned residents to beware of commercial tax preparers who claim to prepare free returns, but fall short of those expectations when it applies to only a few filers and during limited-time promotions.
CASH Campaign had 521 volunteers around the state with 210 in Baltimore last year over a total of 54 locations.
Taxpayers can find information about sites and appointments at www.bmorefreetaxes.org or by calling 410-234-8008.
Have a news tip? Contact Todd Karpovich at tkarpovich@baltsun.com or on X as @ToddKarpovich.
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