Asked to name three things you really don’t want to do, you might say going to the dentist, waiting at the DMV and doing taxes.
Catalyst Miami won’t go to the dentist for you, nor will they wait at the DMV for you.
But, if you make less than $67,000 a year, they will help you do your taxes.
Chris Moreno, Catalyst Miami’s senior director of economic justice, and CEO Zelalem Adefris receive a check from Citizens Florida State President Jim Weiss.
(Courtesy Citizens Financial)
Catalyst Miami’s economic justice manager, Gustavo Carrero, says the organization is a nonpartisan nonprofit that focuses on economic and climate justice “so that everyday people here in Miami can afford to stay for generations to come.”
Catalyst Miami’s economic justice manager, Gustavo Carrero.
(Courtesy Catalyst Miami)
In addition to providing financial coaching and help with public benefits enrollment, budgeting and debt management, Catalyst Miami also partners with VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) to provide free IRS-certified tax help.
“This is a program from the IRS to offer free tax preparation services for low-income households,” Carrero explained. “But it’s not only for low income. It’s also for seniors. It’s also for individuals with disabilities and residents with limited English proficiency.”
And the program is staffed by volunteers.
“This year we have actually 22 or 23 certified volunteers,” Carrero said. “That is an amazing number. Last year I remember that we only had 11. So this year, we doubled the number, and most of them are recurring volunteers, over and over, to assist and help Catalyst Miami with this service.”
Carrero said many Miami-Dade residents are living paycheck to paycheck, and that volunteers work to get tax filers a refund that can put them back on track.
Last month, Citizens Bank named Catalyst Miami as its 2026 H1 Champion in Action for Florida. Catalyst Miami received a $50,000 grant from Citizens to support the expansion of its VITA program, while also providing Citizens colleagues to help out.
Citizens Florida State President Jim Weiss described Champions in Action.
“It’s our signature program where we recognize not-for-profits that are driving measurable, lasting change in the community,” Weiss said. “We’ve been doing this now for 24 years. Across the franchise, we’ve supported over 400 not-for-profits and put more than $12 million in funding and volunteer support towards the program over the last 24 years. Not only do they get the money, but they also get — we rarely talk about — it’s our time, it’s our talent, and it’s our treasure. So when we select these organizations, not only are they getting a $50,000 check from the organization, they’re getting direct access and support from volunteers inside our organization, as well as other resources where we continue to support them beyond just the check that we issue.”
Weiss said the VITA program helps families secure thousands of dollars in refunds completely free of charge.
Citizens Florida State President Jim Weiss.
(Courtesy Citizens Financial)
“This money is critical to the families that are being impacted,” Weiss said. “It goes straight back into their household. You’re helping them stay housed, pay bills, pay down debt, or in many cases, just simply catch up.”
Weiss said that last year, Catalyst Miami secured over $216,000 in refunds and impacted over 183 households at no cost to the clients, “getting them bigger refunds than they may have gotten if they tried to do it on their own and saving them hundreds of dollars that a commercial tax preparer would have charged them to process that same tax return.”
Weiss explained why Catalyst Miami was such an easy choice for Citizens to honor.
“It’s a great organization. It makes a huge difference,” Weiss said. “You know that Miami-Dade is one of the most expensive communities in the state — and quite frankly, in the country — to live in, and what they’re doing here directly supports those necessities, like housing, childcare, debt repayment, and it’s just so impactful. And we see it time and time again that these commercial tax preparers will charge $200-$300-$500 fees to do this, and it just eats into what is just a critical support system for these families.”
Weiss said that lower-income residents usually require simple tax forms.
“These are basic tax returns to support families to get their refunds quickly.”
So, do you need help with your taxes?
Carrero said the first step is to go to the Catalyst Miami website and complete the tax intake form. He said a volunteer will call to ask questions regarding which form to fill out, and another volunteer will call and ask more questions to determine if and how much of a refund the resident can expect.
“It’s very important to us to maximize the refund for them, and also to make sure that the taxes are being done correctly,” Carrero said. “And sometimes clients forget one form or another or they don’t know if they need to claim a dependent or they don’t know if they need to submit interest or dividends from banks. And then once that interview’s finished, we set up an appointment with them, and in an hour and 30 minutes, we prepare the taxes.”
This is followed by a quality review to ensure that everything is correct before the taxes are filed.
“We are big believers that the more we invest in the community, the more involved we are in the community, the stronger that makes the communities that we are in,” Weiss said. “And stronger communities mean really positive things for the households and the families that live there.”