El Taxmovil de H&R Block is on the road, offering free tax information at Hispanic heritage festivals and in predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods.
The tax office on wheels fired up its engine at Hispanic Heritage Month in Chicago last October, dispensing tax education as part of tax services provider H&R Block's outreach efforts to the Hispanic community, according to a news release.
The 20-city Road to Tax Season 2012 tour will make its final stop in Miami during tax season this spring.
El Taxmovil is equipped with a pair of secure tax-preparation work stations and is staffed by bilingual tax professionals who will offer free tax information, provide information on filing Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) applications and inform taxpayers how they may be eligible to claim tax credits and deductions they missed, according to the release.
"The bus can serve as a working tax office," said Johanna Marolf-Terreros, multicultural strategy leader for H&R Block. "We're taking our expertise to the streets and bringing H&R Block tax professionals to the Latino community."
The company has more than 10,000 bilingual tax professionals in Hispanic communities across the country, and served 1.2 million Hispanic clients in 2011, according to the release.
"Our tax professionals are here to help Latinos navigate complex tax issues such as owning a business, sending money to relatives in Mexico or earning an income in the United States and filing a tax return with an ITIN," Marolf-Terreros said.
"We understand the anxiety associated with filing taxes and want to put taxpayers at ease," she added. "That's one of the main reasons we'll have family-friendly games and fun events around the bus."
H&R Block is also setting up shop in about 300 Walmart stores across the country beginning this month.
"This new partnership with the world's largest retailer allows us to serve more customers at a time and location that fits their busy lifestyles," said Bill Cobb, H&R Block president and CEO.
