Community Tax Aid

What Community Tax Aid does

Community Tax Aid, Inc. (also operating as Community Tax Aid D.C. or "CTA") is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. that provides free professional tax preparation services to low-income families and individuals in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Founded in 1987 and operating with a paid staff of 1–10 employees, the organization targets households earning under $69,000 annually, with the average client earning under $29,000, and claims an economic impact of $32 for every $1 invested in its services.

CTA operates as an affiliate of the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, with services delivered by IRS-certified volunteer preparers at neighborhood-based tax sites throughout the DC metro area, including locations in Washington D.C.'s Wards 7 and 8 and Arlington, Virginia. Tax returns are prepared using TaxSlayer software, with multilingual on-site translation support available in Spanish, Amharic, Chinese, French, Arabic, ASL, and Tagalog. Volunteer recruitment is concentrated during the January–April tax season, with volunteers committing to roughly one four-hour shift per week through April 18.

The organization is funded entirely through tax-deductible donations from individuals, accepted via Network for Good, PayPal Giving Fund, and check or money order. It has no disclosed revenue, no funding rounds, and no parent company. Its go-to-market is community-led: outreach occurs through social service referrals, community partnerships, and word-of-mouth rather than paid marketing. Strategic partnerships with neighboring VITA programs — Northern Virginia CASH, Montgomery County VITA, the CASH Campaign of Maryland, and Prince George's Community College — function as referral channels for volunteers and clients whose schedules or locations do not fit CTA's footprint.

Name

Community Tax Aid

Legal name

Community Tax Aid, Inc.

Website

https://communitytaxaiddc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Community Tax Aid is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free, IRS-certified volunteer tax preparation to low-income families earning under $69,000 in the DC metro area, operating seasonal neighborhood VITA sites funded entirely by donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tax Preparation Services

NAICS

Tax Preparation Services (541213), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Business Services (7380)

akta.pro primary industry

Tax Advisory & Compliance (BPAHABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Taxpayer Services, Education & Outreach (BPAIADAM)

Keywords

• Free tax preparation
• Nonprofit tax services
• VITA tax assistance
• Low-income tax help
• Volunteer tax preparers

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Community Tax Aid is a nonprofit organization that relies on tax-deductible donations from individuals to fund operations. Donations are accepted online through Network for Good and PayPal Giving Fund, as well as by check or money order. The organization highlights that for every $1 invested, the economic impact to clients and communities is $32.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Community Tax Aid provides free, IRS-certified volunteer-prepared tax return preparation services to low-income families and individuals in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area with annual household income under $69,000. The organization operates neighborhood-based VITA-certified tax sites during the tax season (January through April) using TaxSlayer software, and offers multilingual support in Spanish, Amharic, Chinese, French, Arabic, ASL, and Tagalog.

Product overview

Community Tax Aid D.C. is a nonprofit organization that provides free tax preparation services to low-income families in the Washington, D.C. metro area. The primary offering is free tax return preparation conducted by IRS-certified volunteers at VITA-certified tax sites during tax season (February through April). Services are available to families with annual income under $69,000, with the average client earning under $29,000. The organization also offers volunteer training and certification programs, accepts donations through multiple platforms (Network For Good, PayPal Giving Fund, and check/money order), and maintains a wish list for in-kind support including office supplies, technology equipment, and snacks for volunteers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Free Tax Preparation Services Free professional tax return preparation for families and individuals in the Washington, D.C. metro area with annual household income under $69,000. Services are provided at no charge by IRS-certified volunteers using TaxSlayer software at VITA-certified neighborhood tax sites during tax season (January through April).

Quantifiable outcome

• $32 economic impact for every $1 invested in CTA services
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Network for GoodminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNetwork for Good processes online donations for Community Tax Aid through its donatenow platform, enabling tax-deductible contributions from individual donors.
• PayPal Giving FundminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPayPal Giving Fund provides an alternative channel for donors to contribute, with PayPal covering transaction fees so the full donation amount reaches the organization.
• Northern Virginia CASHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral and information partner for volunteers who cannot commit to CTA's schedule; NV CASH operates VITA sites in Fairfax/Arlington/Alexandria area.
• Montgomery County, MD VITAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner for Montgomery County, Maryland volunteers and clients; operates VITA tax preparation sites for low-income residents.
• IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)coreOthersCTA is part of the IRS VITA program, providing IRS-certified volunteer tax preparers and standardized training/certification for volunteers. The IRS provides certification testing and continuing education credits for enrolled agents.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Community Tax Aid NYC: New York City-based nonprofit providing free tax preparation to low-income residents through volunteer IRS-certified preparers. Identical name, mission, and operating model to CTA DC, serving as a parallel city affiliate.
• CASH Campaign of Maryland: Maryland statewide nonprofit coalition that organizes free tax preparation through VITA sites for low-income residents. Directly comparable VITA-style nonprofit model in an adjacent geography.
• Northern Virginia CASH (NV CASH): Northern Virginia nonprofit operating VITA tax preparation sites in Fairfax, Arlington, and Alexandria. CTA's referral partner, operating a nearly identical volunteer-driven model in an overlapping service area.
• Campaign for Working Families (Philadelphia): Philadelphia-based nonprofit providing free tax preparation services to low-income working families through IRS VITA-certified volunteers. Sister-city peer to CTA with comparable mission and operating model.
• Montgomery County, MD VITA Program: County-government-administered VITA program providing free tax prep to Montgomery County, Maryland low-income residents. CTA's referral partner with the same IRS VITA operating framework in an adjacent jurisdiction.

Broad incumbents

• Goodwill Industries International: Large national nonprofit that operates free tax preparation services through its local Goodwill affiliates as part of broader workforce-development and community-services programs. Offers overlapping VITA-style services but within a much wider mission footprint.
• United Way: National nonprofit network that funds and supports free tax preparation through VITA coalitions (including many local United Ways). Comparable in funding community-based tax-prep services but operates at vastly larger scale across broader social-service programming.
• Intuit TurboTax Free File Program: Commercial tax preparation product offering a free-file tier for lower-income filers. Not a direct competitor for in-person multilingual service, but addresses the same underlying client need for free tax filing and competes for the same low-income filer demographic at scale.

Emerging players

• Code for America: Technology-focused nonprofit that built GetCTC, a free online tool helping low-income filers claim the Earned Income Tax Credit and other refundable credits. Operates adjacent to CTA's mission but through a digital, technology-enabled channel rather than in-person volunteer sites.

Others

• Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: National policy and research nonprofit that coordinates the EITC Outreach campaign and supports the national VITA network. Not a direct service provider but a key ecosystem enabler and thought leader supporting CTA's operating environment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CommTaxAidDC

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Tax Aid