Volunteers sought for tax preparation programs
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
Tax season may be months away but preparations are already under way to train volunteers to help low- to moderate-income families, the elderly and others with their 2014 returns.
Claudia Stevens, executive director of the United Way of Aroostook, is helping to spread the word that volunteers are needed.
“Do you like to help people? Do you have an interest in income taxes or have a financial background? Are you motivated by the desire to help people make the most of their money? Then VITA or the AARP Tax-Aide Program may be just what you’re looking for,” said Stevens.
The VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) and AARP Tax Aide programs are sponsored by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and AARP Foundation, and provide free tax return preparation assistance to people who qualify, such as seniors, persons with disabilities, low- to moderate-income individuals and families, and people with limited English proficiency.
“Volunteers strive to educate taxpayers about the many credits and deductions that may help increase their refunds, especially the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC),” said Stevens.
EITC is the federal government’s largest anti-poverty program. It is a refundable credit (in increased refunds) for low-income working individuals and families, and has been very instrumental in helping struggling families get some extra money, noted Stevens.
“The IRS estimates that each year up to 20 percent of taxpayers who qualify for the credit fail to claim it — either because they don’t know about it or don’t think that they will qualify. This is where you (volunteers) can really help to spread the message and make sure that qualifying taxpayers get the credits they deserve and help get this money back into the community,” said Stevens.
In 2013, the Maine CA$H Coalition, local groups consisting of non-profits and local businesses that join forces to staff volunteer income tax assistance sites, and the AARP Tax-Aide volunteer sites electronically filed over 18,300 individual federal income tax returns, claiming $21.4 million in tax refunds.
“Over 4,100 of those returns included the EITC, resulting in $5.48 million in EITC credits. The volunteers also helped Maine taxpayers save over $1 million in tax preparation charges,” she said.
Stevens said the Maine CA$H Coalition and AARP Tax-Aide sites are beginning to prepare for the upcoming tax filing season and they are always looking for volunteers to help them at the tax assistance sites.
“No previous experience is required, but training has already begun, so you need to act fast. Volunteers are asked to volunteer for a minimum of five shifts (four hours per shift) from mid-January through April 15,” said Stevens.
For more information about volunteer opportunities, visit www.cashmaine.org or www.aarp.org/taxaide.
