What Cash Oregon does

CASH Oregon is a free tax preparation program operated as an Economic Empowerment initiative of Metropolitan Family Service, a Portland, Oregon-based nonprofit. Founded in 2006 and headquartered at 919 NE 19th Avenue, Suite 200, Portland, the program serves households earning $69,000 or less per year across the Portland Metro area and the Eugene metropolitan area through 18+ community-hosted tax sites, a mobile tax unit, and a virtual preparation platform. In 2025 the program reported helping 9,589 families and facilitating between $17.5 million and $21.2 million in federal and state refunds, depending on the language version of the source. The organization is a partner in the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program, which provides the certification framework, approved software, and quality standards underpinning all returns prepared.

The program is delivered almost entirely by a network of 350+ IRS-certified volunteers, supported by a six-person paid staff and a self-paced Moodle-based training program requiring 30–40 hours for preparer certification. Service lines include in-person tax preparation, virtual tax preparation, Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) application and renewal assistance, the Impuestos Comunitarios culturally specific Spanish-language program, multilingual support across Cantonese, Mandarin, Russian, and Vietnamese, and referrals to free DIY tax software for self-service filers. All returns are electronically filed and reviewed by a second preparer before submission, and refunds are typically received within 21 days via direct deposit.

CASH Oregon is structured as a nonprofit program with no fee-for-service revenue, no external funding rounds, and no commercial customers; financial support flows through donations to its parent Metropolitan Family Service and likely through grants and in-kind volunteer labor. Distribution is community-led and channel-partner driven, relying on word-of-mouth referrals, community organization co-hosting of tax sites and education workshops, a social media presence on Facebook and Instagram, and earned media coverage from outlets including OPB and The Oregonian. Geographic scope is constrained to Federal and Oregon state returns only, and the entire operating cycle is highly seasonal, peaking between late January and mid-April each year.

Name

Cash Oregon

Legal name

MFS CASH Oregon

Website

https://cashoregon.org/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tax Preparation Services

NAICS

Tax Preparation Services (541213), Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (5412)

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Taxpayer Services, Education & Outreach (BPAIADAM)

Keywords

• Free tax preparation
• Volunteer tax services
• ITIN application assistance
• Nonprofit financial services
• Tax education workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Free Service (Nonprofit): CASH Oregon is a nonprofit program that provides completely free tax preparation services to eligible taxpayers. The organization is a program of Metropolitan Family Service and relies on volunteer labor and donations to operate.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MFS CASH Oregon provides free, IRS-certified volunteer tax preparation services for federal and Oregon state returns to families and individuals earning $69,000 or less per year. Services are delivered through in-person tax sites, a mobile tax site, virtual tax preparation, and ITIN application/renewal assistance, supported by community partners across the Portland Metro and Eugene metropolitan areas.

Product overview

Cash Oregon operates as a unified free tax preparation service under the MFS CASH (Creating Assets, Savings and Hope) Oregon program, combining in-person tax sites (18+ throughout Portland Metro area plus a mobile site), virtual tax preparation services, and DIY tax prep resources. The core offering centers on IRS-certified volunteers preparing free federal and Oregon state tax returns for households earning under $69,000/year. Supporting services include ITIN application/renewal assistance and the Impuestos Comunitarios Spanish-language program. The organization also runs a volunteer program offering Tax Preparer, Client Facilitator, Interpreter, and Digital Access Guide roles with self-paced training via Moodle.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• In-Person Tax Preparation Free tax preparation service provided at 18+ physical tax sites throughout the Portland Metro area and Eugene, staffed by IRS-certified volunteers who prepare federal and Oregon state tax returns for families earning under $69,000 per year.
• Virtual Tax Preparation Remote tax preparation service allowing taxpayers to receive free tax help from IRS-certified volunteers via virtual appointments, extending access beyond physical tax sites.
• Mobile Tax Site A traveling tax preparation service that visits different community locations throughout the tax season, bringing free tax preparation to underserved areas.
• ITIN Application and Renewal Assistance Comprehensive assistance with Individual Taxpayer Identification Number applications and renewals, enabling non-citizens without Social Security numbers to file tax returns and access tax credits.
• Impuestos Comunitarios (Spanish-Language Tax Program) A culturally specific, Spanish-language tax preparation program staffed by bilingual volunteers who understand the unique tax situations of the Spanish-speaking community in Oregon.
• Volunteer Tax Preparer Program IRS-certified volunteer program offering roles as Tax Preparers, Client Facilitators, Interpreters, and Digital Access Guides, with free self-paced training available via Moodle platform requiring approximately 30-40 hours for Tax Preparer certification.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Metropolitan Family ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMFS CASH Oregon is an Economic Empowerment Program of Metropolitan Family Service. Metropolitan Family Service is the parent organization providing administrative support, infrastructure, and strategic direction to CASH Oregon.
• IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCASH Oregon is a proud partner of the IRS VITA Program, which provides standardized training, certification requirements, and quality standards for free tax preparation services.
• Community PartnerscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity organizations host tax sites and help conduct tax education workshops. Partners help spread the word about volunteering and reach underserved communities throughout the Portland Metro area and Eugene.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AARP Foundation Tax-Aide: Largest IRS VITA volunteer tax preparation program in the US, serving low-to-moderate income filers (with focus on those 50+) through community-based sites and trained volunteers—directly comparable model and target population to CASH Oregon.
• Code for America - GetYourRefund: Nonprofit virtual VITA platform connecting low-income filers with IRS-certified volunteers for free online tax preparation; directly comparable free virtual tax service model targeting similar population, with national rather than regional scope.
• TaxHelp Colorado: Colorado-based free tax preparation coalition operating through VITA program with multiple sites serving low-income families; directly comparable state-level volunteer tax prep model focused on EITC outreach.
• MyFreeTaxes (H&R Block Foundation + United Way): Free online DIY tax filing service for households under approximately $69,000–$89,000, jointly operated by H&R Block Foundation and United Way; directly comparable free tax assistance resource CASH Oregon actively refers clients to.
• United Way of New York City - VITA Program: Large metropolitan VITA coalition providing free tax preparation through community partner sites in NYC; comparable urban volunteer-based free tax prep program targeting working families.
• Goodwill Industries International - VITA Programs: Many local Goodwill affiliates operate VITA free tax preparation sites as community-based nonprofit programs serving low-income filers; comparable volunteer-staffed model integrated with workforce development mission.
• Catholic Charities USA - VITA Programs: Many local Catholic Charities agencies operate free VITA tax sites serving immigrant and low-income communities with multilingual support; comparable faith-affiliated community-based tax prep model with similar cultural-competency emphasis.

Broad incumbents

• H&R Block: Large commercial tax preparation chain with broad retail footprint and also operates the MyFreeTaxes free-filing program in partnership with United Way; comparable in offering tax preparation but as a for-profit incumbent serving all income levels.

Others

• Benefits Data Trust: Nonprofit that uses data and technology to connect low-income individuals to public benefits and tax credits; adjacent in mission of maximizing financial resource access for underserved populations but focused on benefits enrollment rather than tax prep delivery.

Emerging players

• Bottom Line: Nonprofit providing free one-on-one financial coaching, tax preparation assistance, and college access support to low-income students and families; comparable nonprofit serving similar populations with overlapping financial empowerment services including tax help.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CASHOregon

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 Cash Oregon