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Montgomery County
Community Action Agency
1401 Rockville Pike, 3rd Fl
Rockville, MD 20852
240-777-1697 (main)
240-777-3295 (fax)
Community Action Partner Spotlight: Literacy Council of Montgomery County
 The Literacy Council of Montgomery County received a Community Grant in FY19 to provide basic education and workplace skills training to low-income County residents. The LCMC partnered with area McDonald's restaurants to teach employees English literacy and customer service skills. Ruth Seidenspinner, Director of Community Impact, used her experience in vocational literacy to design a curriculum that includes lessons for Guest Service Gold Certification. The curriculum was adjusted to students' literacy levels in their native language, including adding one-on-one support as needed. Classes run twice a week, for three to four months, for approximately ten students. Students in need of more lessons to pass the customer service certification are welcome to re-enroll. The hosting employer provides class space, pays employees while they attend classes, and benefits from the students' progress. In FY20, the program is expanding to the Bethesda Urban Partnership and Ashton Manor.
*NEW! Please click HERE for a complete list of Community Action's FY20 partners.
VITA's Monthly Tax Tip: Tax Transcripts from the IRS
The IRS has stopped faxing tax transcripts to taxpayers, tax professionals, and third parties to protect against identity theft. The IRS also stopped mailing tax transcripts to third parties. The new policy covers individuals and businesses.
Individual taxpayers are able to obtain their own tax transcripts, which are summaries of tax return information, by:
- Using IRS.gov or the IRS2Go app to access Get Transcript Online; taxpayers must first verify their identities but may then immediately download or print their transcript;
- Using IRS.gov or the IRS2Go app to access Get Transcript by Mail; the transcript will be delivered within 10 days to the address of record;
- Calling 800-908-9946 for an automated Get Transcript by Mail feature
- Submitting Form 4506-T, Request for Transcript of Tax Return, or 4506T-EZ, Short Form Request for Individual Tax Return Transcript
Tax practitioners wishing to obtain taxpayers’ transcripts for tax preparation or representation purposes may have them mailed to the taxpayers’ address or obtain masked transcripts that hide personally identifiable information using the e-Services Transcript Delivery System.
In another step to foil identity theft, Forms 4506, Request for Copy of Tax Return, 4506-T, and 4506T-EZ no longer provide an option to have transcripts mailed to a third party. These requests are often made by lenders and others to allow them to verify income for nontax purposes. Those requests can be met by using the IRS’s Income Verification Express Service (IVES). Tax return information currently available through the IRS Data Retrieval Tool through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process is still available.
Because transcripts are masked by obscuring names and SSNs, the IRS has set up a program to help third parties match transcripts to individual taxpayers. The IRS is permitting third parties to assign a Customer File Number, such as a loan application number or a student identification number. The number will populate on the transcript to help match it to the client or student.
New Resource for Families
The Department of Health and Human Services has developed a new tool for families called Emergency Family File. The document, which is available in English and Spanish, helps families create a written plan in case of emergency. Additional Know Your Rights information and immigration legal resources may be found on the Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center website.
Upcoming Events:
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 10 - 11:30 am, Through August 15, Judy Center Play and Learn Group at TESS
August 6, 3:30 - 5 pm, Nonprofits' Role in the 2020 Census, 6010 Executive Blvd, Ste 200, Rockville
August 10, 8:30 am - 2 pm, Single Parent Conference, Montgomery College Rockville Campus
August 18, 2 pm, Free Immigration Clinic, St. Camillus
Catholic Church in Silver Spring
August 24, 10 am - 2 pm, Back-to-School Fair, Westfield Wheaton
August 30, 11 am - 1 pm, Senior Social at TESS
Wednesdays, 11 am - 3 pm, Now Through Nov. 27, Crossroads Network Farmers Market, Anne St. at University Blvd. East in Takoma Park
September 10, 6:30 - 8:30 pm, Registration for Intermediate English Class at TESS
September 24, 9 am - 12 pm, Voter Registration Day event at TESS
September 24, 7 pm, Community Action Board meeting, 1401 Rockville Pike *The full Community Action Board does not meet in July and August
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