NC Working Families Economic Relief Act
House Bill 668, the NC Working Families Economic Relief Act, would create a new grant program through the North Carolina Community Colleges System to expand Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) services across the state. The program is designed to train community college students to become IRS-certified tax preparers, offer a fall course on basic tax accounting and tax return preparation, and provide a spring work-based learning course in which students prepare returns during tax season. Participating colleges would also be required to designate a faculty champion and make VITA services available to students and community members.
The bill also directs state funding to the United Way of North Carolina to expand its existing VITA network. That funding would support additional locations, staffing, software, supplies, multilingual outreach, and related financial education resources. The act would take effect July 1, 2025, and includes appropriations from the General Fund to the Community Colleges System Office, the Department of Revenue, and the Office of State Budget and Management to carry out the program.
The bill would create new state-supported infrastructure for free tax preparation assistance, primarily affecting the Community Colleges System Office, the Department of Revenue, and the United Way of North Carolina. It appropriates recurring and nonrecurring General Fund dollars to launch and sustain campus-based VITA programs, provide training and technical assistance, and expand statewide access to tax filing help for low- and moderate-income taxpayers, people with disabilities, and limited-English speakers. It would not directly amend tax rates or eligibility rules, but it would expand state involvement in tax-credit outreach and filing assistance, with the practical effect of helping more residents claim federal credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit.
Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears generally positive and service-oriented, framed as economic relief for working families. The findings in the bill emphasize unclaimed tax credits, returning money to households, and using community colleges for workforce and community benefit, suggesting a broad policy appeal around helping residents access refunds and credits they may otherwise miss. No committee transcripts or vote records were provided, so there is no recorded evidence of opposition or debate in the available materials.
The main policy questions likely concern the use of state appropriations for a program that supports federal tax filing assistance, the ongoing recurring costs, and the administrative burden on community colleges and the Department of Revenue. Potential points of contention include whether the state should fund tax-preparation services directly, how much should go to administration versus direct services, and whether the program’s benefits justify the appropriated amounts. The bill text itself does not identify opponents, and no committee discussion or vote history is available to show specific objections.