Southern Bancorp’s Free Tax Assistance Program Returns for 2025 Season

Southern Bancorp Bank and Southern Bancorp Community Partners (SBCP), Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), announce the return of the Southern Bancorp Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, through which the CDFI provides free tax preparation and filing services for communities across Arkansas and Mississippi, for customers and non-customers alike.

This year’s VITA season at Southern Bancorp will run from Jan. 21 through April 10, during which anyone with an annual income of $67,000 or less can get their taxes prepared and filed for free by the CDFI’s IRS-certified tax specialists.

“We’re proud to once again deliver the impactful work of our VITA program to our communities this year,” said Kenya Davenport, Interim President of Southern Bancorp Community Partners, a nonprofit loan fund and financial development organization. “For many families, a tax refund is the largest lump
sum of money their household will receive all year. The purpose of our VITA program is to help folks navigate the season without the burdens of hassles and hidden fees. This year, we are excited to expand our access to financial education to tax filers and hope this access allows families to make informed
decisions about this sum of money, empowering more people with the ability to save and helping keep dollars in our local economies.”

Southern Bancorp’s free tax services are available on Tuesdays and Thursdays through April 10 at 47 of its participating bank branches – 32 in Arkansas and 15 in Mississippi. The CDFI will also host eight different free tax filing community events during the month of February, including six “Super Saturday”
events, in partnership with Entergy, which will feature free tax preparation alongside free legal services and health screenings.

Super Saturday Events
• Feb. 1: Little Rock, Ark. (10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Goodwill Industries of Arkansas, 7400 Scott Hamilton Dr.)
• Feb. 1: Clarksdale, Miss. (10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Clarksdale Civic Auditorium, 506 E. 2nd St.)
• Feb. 8: Eudora, Ark. (10 a.m.-4 p.m. at J. Austin White Cultural Center, 160 S. Main St.)
• Feb. 8: Canton, Miss. (10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Canton Multipurpose & Equine Center, 501 Soldier Colony Rd.)
• Feb. 15: Helena-West Helena, Ark. (10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Southern Bancorp, 425 E. Plaza St.)
• Feb. 22: Jonesboro, Ark. (10 a.m.-4 p.m. at St. Bernards Auditorium, 505 E. Washington Ave.)

Southern Bancorp has been an active member of the IRS’ VITA program since 2004. Over the past two decades, the CDFI has filed more than 47,000 free tax returns for its communities, generating more than $93M in refunds for low-to-moderate income (LMI) individuals and families. In 2024, its VITA team filed 4,719 free returns, which resulted in $6.1M in total refunds, including more than $2.5M in Earned Income Tax Credits.