Mid-MN Legal Aid set to tackle state tax cases
Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid’s consumer unit has made its mark, hosting “Low Income Taxpayer Clinics” (LITCs) throughout Minnesota and providing effective representation to clients in IRS disputes. In 2026, the unit is proudly expanding its scope of services by taking on state tax cases, as well.
Historically, state tax work by the unit was limited to cases connected to an IRS case with conditions — the cases had to stem from the same IRS tax issue and had to occur in the same year. This is no longer the case. Today, the unit’s state cases only need to fall within the project’s priority areas and do not need to be connected to a federal case.
Legal Aid Tax Attorney Aisha Servaty says a tremendous gap in services has existed when it comes to assisting taxpayers in state tax cases and this new model of LITC services will help narrow it.
“We’ll initially focus on cases where the Minnesota Department of Revenue is auditing a tax return for Tax Credits (the Working Family Credit, Minnesota Child Tax Credit or the Minnesota Credit for Qualifying Older Children) or when the taxpayer needs assistance stopping collection activity that is causing significant economic hardship. Our unit is also assisting taxpayers in responding to Minnesota Department of Revenue notices and advocating for them on their on behalf. We’ll also help with questions surrounding when and how to claim a dependent on a state tax return, how to claim previously unfiled for tax credits, and what steps to take to trace an unreceived tax refund.”
Aisha Servaty, Tax Attorney
A grant from the Minnesota Department of Revenue is funding this work, and the expansion of both Legal Aid’s LITC outreach efforts and library of shareable materials. To learn more, contact Aisha Servaty, Director of the Tax Law Project, at aservaty@mylegalaid.org