If your household runs on $55,000 a year or less, VITA can help you with your taxes.

I know, I know. You've been taking your taxes to el Tío Fito for years. He's good with forms; he was an accountant y entiende todo eso. Besides, he loves helping you con las taxes while your tía makes you enchiladas for lunch and tells you all about your cousin's latest relationship dramas. Or maybe you take your taxes to Melinda, your brother's wife who also happens to be a math whiz with an MBA who charges other people an arm and a leg for tax preparation help, a service she provides to family members in exchange for a weekend of child care or the promise of a really nice Christmas gift. At the risk of ruining Melinda's next four-day weekend or making Tio Fito feel left behind, check out VITA.

VITA is short for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, which is exactly what it is; it is a program made up of volunteers who help others file their taxes at no charge. It's the main effort on behalf of ACCESS, the Alamo City Coalition for Family Economic Self Sufficiency, a group that aims to help San Antonio families find the path to ongoing financial stability.

It's not a service for the poor or those living on the fringe, because having a combined household income in of $55,000 or less is what qualifies participants in the program — in San Antonio, $55,000 a year goes a long way if you know how to stretch your dollars. And it's not really a service that does your taxes for you while you wait outside; the volunteers who do the paperwork sit next to the taxpayers being helped, so those being helped can see exactly what goes into their tax forms, especially if the Earned Income Tax Credit is in order. Unfortunately, the people who qualify for that particular tax break, low- and middle-income families, often overlook it.

What it does provide, however, is help with taxes.

OK, some of us don't need help, and some of us don't mind paying for professional tax preparation. And of course, some of us have Melinda or Tio Fito. But tax assistance through VITA helps taxpayers keep every penny they are entitled to collect, and it's the first step in understanding how to complete a tax return for oneself, without assistance.

That's what that whole “Family Economic Self Sufficiency” thing is all about. Es mas, you can still spend an afternoon with Tio Fito or Melinda's kids, si quieres.

For a list of VITA tax preparation sites, see www.vitasa.org or call (800) 829-1040.