The Mayor’s Office of Weed and Seed, Atlanta Workforce Development Agency and Atlanta Police Department’s Police Athletic League are working together to assist Atlanta’s senior, veterans and disabled citizens receive a tax rebate for the upcoming economic stimulus package.  Many of our senior citizens do not earn enough to require filing a tax return and therefore are not eligible for a tax refund, so while they typically do not file income taxes they have been seeking information as to how they would receive a tax rebate check in the spring.  By coordinating free tax services being done at our VITA Center located at 818 Pollard Blvd., many of Atlanta’s seniors will now be receiving a rebate check.

This spring, more than 130 million Americans will receive a tax rebate from the federal government as result of the recently enacted economic stimulus bill. According to the new law, an individual or family with at least $3,000 in income, including Social Security and veteran disability benefits, or that pays at least $1 in income tax, will receive a rebate check of at least $300.

Lt. Hendricks and Sgt. Ricks, of PAL, worked with the Mayor’s Office of Weed and Seed to coordinate the first visit.  Friday, March 14, 2008 saw the first group of twenty-four seniors from the Palmer House located at 430 Centennial Olympic Park Drive. These seniors were picked up and dropped off at 10:15 AM, had their taxes prepared and electronically filed by IRS-trained and certified volunteers, and then dropped back off at the Palmer House.  All but 3 were deemed eligible for the stimulus package.  Plans call for many more seniors and disabled citizens are to be served through the remainder of this month and next.