Our Residents

It’s tax time – but not to worry, help is available.

Springfield Housing Authority residents, along with the general public, are welcome to have expert assistance to organize accounts, fill out forms, and file the proper documents to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

And this year, the SHA is offering three locations for residents to visit – Marble Street in the South End, Reed Village in the Bay Neighborhood and Sullivan Apartments in Liberty Heights.

SHA Housing Retention Program Coordinator Daisy Gomez has organized the expanded sessions for anyone who needs help, to work in private sessions with a tax expert from Springfield Partners for Community Action.

The sessions run in half-hour blocks on the following schedules:

At Marble, 113 Marble St., Feb. 7 and 14, 9:30 a.m. to noon, and Feb. 9 and 16, 1 to 4 p.m.

At Reed Village, 49 Lionel Benoit Road, Mondays, 1 to 4 p.m., and Wednesdays and Fridays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

At Sullivan, 160 Nursery Street: Mondays, 9 to 11:30 a.m., and Tuesday and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Appointments are necessary, and may be made by calling Gomez at 785-1561 during weekday office hours. There will be no walk-ins.

This is the seventh consecutive year that SHA has organized this service for residents and the general public. Gomez said the sessions are usually booked, and even more so as the deadline approaches.

This free service is aimed at helping people get their taxes done without paying for private professional services, which can run upwards of $150.

“Our families like to get their taxes done right away, and sometimes they end up spending a lot of money on it. We’re trying to keep costs down for them,” Gomez said.

Those asking for help should plan on bringing the following documents with them:

• Photo identification of head of household and spouse
• Social Security cards for all dependents
• Birth certificates for all dependents
• Proof of health insurance for all dependents
• W-2 forms for all employers in 2016
• 1099-MISC forms for those self-employed
• 1099-G forms for unemployed persons
• 1099-R forms for those in disability income
• 1099-R for those on pensions, annuities and/or collecting on IRAs
• SSA-1099 or RRB-1099 Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits
• 1098-T scholarships
• 1098 home mortgage interest and real estate taxes
• Child or dependent care expenses information
• 1098-E student loan interest
• Earned income disallowed in prior year information
• Gambling or Lottery winning information
• Direct deposit information
• Prior year tax return
• Rent amount paid for 2016
• Donations or charity contributions