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When most people think about filing their taxes, they may feel stress, anxiety or even dread. However, tax preparation is more than a mandatory task for Alex Leong. It’s also an opportunity for him to give back to the community.
During the 2026 tax season, Alex will join more than 500 other community volunteers with Mile High United Way’s Tax Help Colorado program to prepare taxes for thousands of Coloradans.
Tax Help Colorado is an IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program that provides free, high-quality tax preparation services for low- and middle-income Colorado families.
“I started volunteering during the 2024 tax season, and really it’s the people who keep me coming back,” Alex said.
Volunteers are an essential part of Tax Help Colorado. In 2025, volunteers prepared more than 11,000 tax returns, returning $22.5 million to families across Colorado.
“Community volunteers truly are at the heart of what we do. Every year we’ve increased the number of families we serve. We couldn’t manage that without their support,” said Kristin Hubbard, Tax Help Colorado director.
Although Alex first joined Tax Help Colorado in 2024, his interest in preparing taxes began during his teen years.
“In high school I took an Intro to Business class, and one of the things we learned was how to file a 1040 individual tax return. I told my mom about it and she said, ‘Now you can do our taxes instead of me paying someone,’” Alex said.
His mother’s comment inspired Alex to review his family’s return for the previous year and reverse-engineer the process.
“She was a single mom with three kids, so getting the child tax credits and money saved from paying for a preparation service made a big difference,” Alex shared.
Alex still helps his friends and family with their taxes each year, but now he’s proud to serve hundreds of additional families. The most rewarding part is learning people’s stories and what has happened in their lives.
“Doing taxes is really just filling out forms and plugging the numbers in. But during that process, people will share how their refund will make a big difference in their lives,” Alex said. “They might use the funds to buy a car, pay off debt or support themselves after the death of a spouse. Those can be difficult things, and it really shows that this work is more than just numbers.”
Last year, Alex made a deep connection with a single mom of two who hadn’t filed her taxes for a few years. Alex patiently worked with the woman week after week, helping her get caught up.
“Every week we’d tick off another administrative task. But really, it was the way she trusted us and was willing to come back,” Alex said. “She ended up with a sizeable return, which helped her get consistent transportation so she could get to work. A tax return might seem simple, but it really opens up a new future for these families.”
