Southern Bancorp Bank and Southern Bancorp Community Partners (SBCP), Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), are pleased to announce the return of the Southern Bancorp Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, through which the CDFIs provide 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, in partnership with Entergy, will run from Jan. 20 through April 9, during which anyone with an annual income of $69,000 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 Gordon, President of Southern Bancorp Community Partners, a nonprofit loan fund and financial development organization. “We know that for many families, a tax return is the largest lump sum of money their household will receive all year. Our free tax assistance program helps folks keep all those hard-earned dollars without losing any to hidden fees or predatory refund practices, empowers more people with the ability to save, and helps to keep these dollars within our local economies.”
Southern Bancorp’s free tax services are available on Tuesdays and Thursdays through April 9 at 48 of its participating bank branches – 32 in Arkansas and 16 in Mississippi. The CDFI will also host multiple free tax filing community events throughout its footprint during the season. These “Super Saturday” events provide a flexible, weekend alternative for individuals and families who are not able to make it to a branch during the work week and feature free tax preparation alongside free legal services and health screenings.
Super Saturday Events
- Feb. 7: Little Rock, Ark. (9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Goodwill Industries of Arkansas, 7400 Scott Hamilton Dr.)
- Feb. 7: Clarksdale, Miss. (9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Southern Bancorp, 875 S. State St.)
- Feb. 21: Jonesboro, Ark. (9 a.m.-1 p.m. at St. Bernards Auditorium, 505 E. Washington Ave.)
- Feb. 28: Helena-West Helena, Ark. (9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Southern Bancorp, 425 E. Plaza St.)
- April 11: Jackson, Miss. (9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Jackson Medical Mall Thad Cochran Center, 350 W. Woodrow Wilson 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 52,000 free tax returns for its communities, generating more than $100 million in refunds for low-to-moderate income (LMI) individuals and families. In 2025, its VITA team filed 5,262 free returns, which resulted in $7.2 million in total refunds and credits.
For more information and a full list of participating branches, visit banksouthern.com/vita.
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