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With income-tax season kicking into gear, free tax-preparation help will be available in the Tucson area beginning Saturday, the United Way announced this week.

The program offers help to low-income people who want to know what credits they can obtain to reduce their taxes, said Patrick Jordan, director of community development for the United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona. The program will operate at 15 locations throughout the Tucson area.

The Internal Revenue Service trains volunteers for the program, said Bill Brunson, spokesman for the IRS in Phoenix.

Some bilingual volunteers will offer tax help to Spanish-speakers, Jordan said.

Volunteers will prepare federal and state tax returns, and will help taxpayers determine whether they are eligible for tax breaks such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit.

Those tax credits can offer big savings, according to United Way estimates: A married couple, filing jointly, with two children, with earnings up to $37,260 may receive as much as $4,400 in tax credits.

The average Earned Income Tax Credit in Tucson last year was about $1,800, according to United Way estimates. About 11,000 Tucsonans were eligible for the credit but did not claim it last year.

Tucson-area volunteers completed tax returns for 2,400 low-income workers in 2005, resulting in more than $2.4 million in federal refunds, according to the United Way.

The sites will offer electronic tax filing, which reduces the time needed to obtain a refund.

The sites also can help people sign up for a savings account with no minimum balance and no fees, Jordan said.

The savings accounts will be offered through Arizona Saves, an affiliate of a national program from the Consumer Federation of America that promotes saving among low-income consumers.

The tax preparation program is offered through a partnership involving the city of Tucson, Pima County, and about 20 local nonprofit groups.

For more information, call 881-1794.