$10.1 Million Back Into Our Community: MEDA’s 2026 Tax Season

As San Francisco’s largest VITA site, MEDA is proud to announce the impact of our recent tax season: 4,900 free filings completed, $10.1 million returned to low-income families. These aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet. For the people we serve, they’re rent money. They’re groceries for the month. They’re savings to build on.

For many of our clients, tax season is the door to financial literacy and the asset-building that leads to real economic mobility. We’ve seen small business owners, community advocates, and neighborhood leaders discover MEDA because of this program—and stay engaged in our work. What begins as a simple question about tax credits becomes a conversation about building wealth, starting a business, or investing in their family’s future.

“Tax preparation is one of our most direct entry points to financial empowerment,” says Malea Chávez, MEDA’s Chief Program Officer. “When families understand the credits they’ve earned and take home their full refunds, they’re not just getting money, they’re gaining knowledge and building for their future. That’s where economic mobility begins.”

That effort matters. Josefina Martinez, a mother of two who returns each year, puts it plainly: “Taxes at MEDA are a great service to the community because staff explain the process and the credits families deserve, that’s why I come back each year.”

None of this happens without our 50 volunteers. From greeters to preparers, they donate their time and expertise each season—some for their fifth or sixth year, others discovering what it means to give back. David Mack, a former Mission Techies participant, now volunteers as a tax preparer: “My favorite part about volunteering is just to do people’s taxes for free.” Fernando Castaño, bilingual preparer in his second year, puts it simply: “People are very responsive, very grateful, and it feels very rewarding just to be able to help them out.”

Why This Matters

In a city where cost of living continues to climb, free tax preparation isn’t a nice-to-have service, it’s a lifeline. The $10.1 million returned to community members this season would have been taken by tax preparation fees, leaving families with even less. Instead, those dollars stay in our community: they pay for housing, support small businesses, and build toward stability.
For MEDA, this is economic mobility in action. Thank you to everyone who made this tax season possible. Adelante!