BOSTON - Tuesday, January 29, 2019 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today joined the Boston Tax Help Coalition and other community partners at the Roxbury Center for Financial Empowerment to highlight free tax preparation services available to low- and moderate-income Boston residents. The Coalition provides free tax preparation services at more than 30 partner locations throughout the City to help residents who earn $55,000 or less per year maximize the Earned Income Tax Credit and claim the full refunds they are due.
"The free, IRS-certified tax services offered by the Boston Tax Help Coalition are an opportunity for hard-working Boston residents to save money," said Mayor Walsh. "I thank our dedicated volunteers who make these efforts possible, and encourage the thousands of residents who are eligible for these services to take advantage of them."
The Coalition serves approximately 13,000 taxpayers per year and last year enlisted hundreds of volunteers to return $24 million in refunds and credits directly to taxpayers.
"As a business owner, I have saved a lot of money on having my taxes prepared at the Roxbury Center for Financial Empowerment," said Cynthia Jones, founder and CEO of The Women's Group of New England. "I am now moving forward and growing my business. I am so thankful for the staff at the Center. They were there when I needed them."
In addition to tax preparation, the Coalition provides clients with other services to improve their financial health. For example, the Coalition connects taxpayers to Bank On Boston, an initiative launched by Mayor Walsh that helps residents identify banking services that are safe, affordable, and non-predatory. Trained financial guides also offer taxpayers the Financial Check-Up, a key component of Boston Builds Credit, the City's free credit building program. A Financial Check-Up is a one-on-one session in which a taxpayer can review his or her credit score and obtain personalized credit-building strategies. The Boston Tax Coalition offers Financial Check-Ups at 15 tax sites, up from 12 last year.
New this year, the Coalition will also be using the Financial Check-Up as an outreach tool to identify taxpayers who aspire to homeownership. These taxpayers will be eligible for Homebuyer Readiness workshops and individualized financial coaching and credit building assistance to help them work toward that goal. These services will be available at the Roxbury Center for Financial Empowerment, with additional workshops offered through community partners across the city.
These homeownership services are made possible by a $175,000 grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation as part of the organization's NeighborhoodLIFT program, a $6.75 million commitment to boost sustainable homeownership and revitalize neighborhoods.
"Wells Fargo is passionate about helping individuals, families and communities achieve their goals," said Jennifer Crampton of Wells Fargo's Community Lending and Investment division. "These local initiative grants will help most Boston area residents who want to become homeowners - a goal that aligns perfectly with the NeighborhoodLIFT program. We are excited to work together to make lasting changes for the better."
"The beginning of the tax season is our favorite time of year," said Alan Gentle, manager of the Roxbury Center for Financial Empowerment. "We see many residents who have been getting their taxes done with us for years. Plus, we're able to connect taxpayers with other services offered by our bilingual staff - from financial coaching to small business assistance to, now, homebuyer assistance."
The Boston Tax Help Coalition is part of the Mayor's Office of Financial Empowerment.
About the Mayor's Office of Financial Empowerment
Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh formed the Office of Financial Empowerment (OFE) in 2014 to connect City residents with access to credit building programs, financial education, individualized financial coaching, and income support. Residents who seek to improve their financial situation can use these tools to achieve economic well-being and pursue financial prosperity. OFE is an affiliate of the Mayor's Office of Workforce Development and the Boston Planning & Development Agency.
Legislation would also discourage flipping of neighborhood homes
On Monday, Councilors Lydia Edwards and Kim Janey proposed a Home Rule Petition to combat housing speculation and establish an investor and commercial property transfer fee. The proposed bill would enhance the city’s housing toolkit by generating millions of dollars for affordable housing and by discouraging the inflation of housing prices through rapid resale of properties. The proposal will be assigned to committee in Wednesday’s council session.
The bill authorizes the City of Boston to establish a fee of up to 6%, split evenly between buyer and seller, on real estate transfers over $2 million, with an estimated revenue of $175m - $350m based on 2015-2017 sales. Exemptions are in place for owner-occupants, transfers between family members and homes purchased through approved home-buying classes. The bill also would authorize a fee of up to 25% on secondary sales, or flips, within a two year period.
"Boston residents are struggling as our economy booms, and our homes have become the new stock market," said Boston Councilor Lydia Edwards. "Housing costs are straining families' resources and pushing talented workers out of our city. This legislation will curb real estate speculation and generate millions to build and preserve affordable housing."
“We are in a housing affordability crisis,” said Councilor Kim Janey. “These fees will not only discourage speculation in our housing market and the over-creation of luxury condos, it will also raise much-needed revenue to invest in affordable housing, and help stem the tide of gentrification. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the City Council, the Mayor, and the legislature in passing this law.”
Other cities, including New York City, have enacted luxury transfer fees and there is a growing movement in Massachusetts. The Somerville City Council passed a home rule petition in 2018 which is still pending before the legislature. Cambridge began exploring a transfer fee in January 2019. State legislation authorizing a transfer fee has also been introduced by Rep. Mike Connolly and Sen. Joseph Boncore (HD.414 / SD334 - An Act supporting affordable housing with a local option for a fee to be applied to certain real estate transactions).
(East Boston, January 26, 2015) - This week candidate for State Representative Adrian Madaro announced several proposals to mitigate the impact of Logan Airport on the residents and businesses of East Boston, including a new tax abatement for properties negatively affected by noise pollution from the airport as well as expanding subsidies to sound proof windows.
Citing residents near Chicago’s O’Hare Airport who won tax appeals after arguing their properties lost value due to noise pollution, Madaro said a similar measure should be enacted in East Boston.
“The people of East Boston should receive a tax abatement for the loss of property value caused by this noise pollution.” Madaro continued. “Residents in Chicago saw up to a 12% reduction in their taxes. Those savings would make a big difference for many families here.”
“In addition to this tax break, it’s my belief that every single household in East Boston should be eligible for sound proof windows.” said Madaro. “and I will work with the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to expand the noise contour map to cover our entire community.”
To cover costs of these proposals, Madaro suggested that a portion of the roughly $18 million that Massport currently pays annually to the City of Boston as a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) be dedicated to lowering the property taxes of affected East Boston residents. Currently those funds are not specifically dedicated to East Boston and can be spent throughout the City.
“The payments that Massport makes to the City should be spent here in East Boston” said Madaro. “We are the ones that are most affected by the air and noise pollution and I will work with Massport and through the legislative process at the State House to ensure that these funds are used to specifically help Eastie residents.”
Adrian Madaro is a graduate of Boston Latin School and Tufts University where he also earned a Masters in Public Policy and Urban Planning. Adrian is an active member of the East Boston community, serving as a board member of the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, Vice President of the YMCA, President of the Harborside Community Council, Former Vice President of the Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH), and Co-Chair and Founder of the Mario Umana Public Service Fellowship.
Source: Madaro Campaign
