eBus Events Bring Free Tax Filing to Communities Across California

Starting in Fresno and heading to Sacramento with a planned eight stops along the way, Golden State Opportunity, their Community Connect partners, and The Community College Foundation mobile tax filing eBus are making their way through the Central Valley, helping people file their taxes for free.

Outreach in rural regions like the Central Valley presents added logistical and financial challenges, from transportation and technology infrastructure to securing multilingual volunteers. These efforts are often more costly than events in urban areas, but they’re critical to reaching underserved populations who otherwise face significant barriers to tax filing assistance.

To kickoff this year’s eBus series, GSO and our partners Jakara Movement and LAVITA Community Financial Organization hosted three days of free tax preparation in Fresno, Selma, and Livingston on March 22, 23, and 24.

Community members used The Community College Foundation’s eBus, a traveling tax filing center outfitted with several stations meant to be used with the help of Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) volunteers to file taxes. Dozens filed their taxes and claimed their tax credits over the weekend, including one couple who was shocked to receive $7,000 back in tax credits.

“We’re so excited to have our first ever bus event in the Central Valley and to reach more people claiming their taxes than ever before,” said Citlalli Lizárraga, CalEITC+ Project Manager. “It’s so important to offer services like this across the state, so I’m excited to be a part of that effort.”

The outreach activities were hosted at three Sikh Gurdwara temples throughout the valley. Services were available in five different languages, including English, Spanish, Farsi, Armenian, and Punjabi, in an effort to reach as many community members as possible. Free tax preparation was available to anyone with an income under $67,000 and a W-2 return to be processed.

“The Punjabi community, especially in rural parts of California, often faces barriers to accessing basic services, sometimes due to language, transportation, or just not knowing what’s out there,” said Mandip Kaur, Program Manager for Jakara Movement. “That’s why the eBus is so important. It brings resources straight into communities that are usually overlooked. In Livingston, for example, we started early because Foster Farms warehouse workers needed support before their shifts. Some even approached the bus before we fully set up. That moment really showed how critical this kind of outreach is, meeting people where they are, on their time, and making sure they’re not left behind when it comes to services like taxes, healthcare, or state programs.”

Alongside them at the events was LAVITA, an LA-based organization that offers Spanish, Farsi, and Armenian tax preparation services. “We love working with GSO because they can see the big picture. This is an example of that,” said Aragas Mandani, Executive Director of LAVITA. “They’re not just focusing on one area, but on reaching all of California and they support their partners in extending our services to areas [where] we might not otherwise be, like in Fresno.”

A series of eBus events are planned across the state, including Santa Cruz, Yuba City, and Sacramento for a final stop on April 15.