By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
AARP, a national organization which promotes the health and wellbeing of senior citizens, is once again counting on volunteers to assist senior citizens with completing tax returns by the April 15 deadline through its AARP Tax Aid Program.
“Each year, a group of dedicated volunteers get together, open temporary facilities in Caribou and Presque Isle, assisting hundreds of our senior citizens and low-income neighbors with their tax returns. They do this for the simple reward one gets for giving a helping hand to people in need of it,” said Michael Ayers, program coordinator.
While the program has grown, the number of volunteers has not.
“Over the past few years, our ‘client’ base has grown while at the same time we have suffered attrition in our ranks, due to illness, career changes, etc. Now we have an urgent need for volunteers,” said Ayers.
“Some of us have an accounting background, some do not,” said Ayers. “Some love working with computers, others contribute their talents to client intake and interviews. So whether your have skills or not, there is probably a match with our needs,” said Ayers. “
Each year, the program begins in January with a one-week training session in which they get hands-on experience with the computer software, one-on-one tutoring, and some great discussion time.
“All training materials are provided, and mileage to/from the training site is reimbursed by AARP, our sponsoring organization. At the end of the training, we all take certification tests to assure AARP and the IRS that we are prepared to perform our tasks with quality results,” he said.
The tests are not timed and are open-book, open notes format.
“We open our offices in early February, and provide federal and state tax assistance to almost all comes,” Ayers said.
Certain very complex returns are referred to professionals in the tax field within each respective community.
“In Caribou, we work on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from about 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. In Presque Isle, the staff works on Saturdays at the University of Maine at Presque Isle for most of the day,” said Ayers.
These schedules are not cast in concrete and no attendance is taken.
“If you need to miss a date or two, we can work around that,” said Ayers. “Mileage to/from the work site is also reimbursed. While we love our work, everyone breathes a sigh of relief on April 15,” said Ayers.
For more information, call Bob White at 498-3872 or e-mail rwhite03@maine.rr.com.
