The Joliet Township Government kicked off tax season by announcing the return of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program for the fifth year.

The program is a partnership with the Will County Center for Community Concerns which allows qualifying individuals to get their taxes prepared for free.

“Understanding that tax preparation can be daunting, Joliet Township’s VITA program aims to make it easy and accessible to those in need,” the township government said in the announcement.

In order to qualify for the service individuals must have a total income under $67,000 or be over 60 years old. There are no residency restrictions for participation, and seniors do not have an income requirement, the township said.

Individuals who wish to utilize the service must pick up a tax packet at the Joliet Township Government Office, located at 175 W. Jefferson St. in Joliet, and complete an intake form.

The intake form and tax documents must then be returned in the packet to a designated location.

Among the documents participants may be asked to provide copies of are:

• drivers license or state ID,

• Social Security card or ITIN,

• W-2 form from an employer,

• mortgage interest statement 1098,

• a previous tax return,

• health insurance form 1095-A,

• student loans form 1098-E,

• unemployment benefits form 1099-G,

• gambling winnings form W-2,

• and receipts from charitable donations.

Once the participant’s documents are submitted, the VITA team will review the documents and prepare their taxes, the township said.

Participants will be contacted for a review of the tax documents once the preparation is complete.

Participants will be able to review the completed documents and must sign off on them electronically before they will be submitted to the Internal Revenue Service, the township said.

More information about the service is available on the Joliet Township website.