Center for Economic Progress
Encyclopedia
The Center for Economic Progress (CEP) is a non-profit organization
based in Chicago
that offers free tax preparation
and financial counseling to low-income families. Since its creation in 1990, CEP has helped families obtain $340 million in refunds.
, CEP provides free tax preparation at sites in Chicago and surrounding Illinois during tax season to families that earn under $50,000 annually or individuals who earn under $25,000. It also promoted the 2010 US Census at its tax sites in neighborhoods that showed especially low response rates in 2000.
CEP employs approximately 50 staff members and recruits more than one thousand volunteer tax preparers each year.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
based in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
that offers free tax preparation
Tax preparation
Tax preparation is the process of preparing tax returns, often income tax returns, often for a person other than the taxpayer, and generally for compensation. Tax preparation may be done by the taxpayer with or without the help of tax preparation software and online services...
and financial counseling to low-income families. Since its creation in 1990, CEP has helped families obtain $340 million in refunds.
Services
As part of the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance ProgramIRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program is an IRS program designed to help low and moderate-income taxpayers complete their annual tax returns at no cost. The program was originally founded 1971 by Gary Iskowitz at California State University Northridge...
, CEP provides free tax preparation at sites in Chicago and surrounding Illinois during tax season to families that earn under $50,000 annually or individuals who earn under $25,000. It also promoted the 2010 US Census at its tax sites in neighborhoods that showed especially low response rates in 2000.
CEP employs approximately 50 staff members and recruits more than one thousand volunteer tax preparers each year.