AARP offers tax help

Even if you don't have much money to account for, figuring your taxes can be a confusing chore.

The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) is lending a hand with its annual Tax Aide tax assistance program at the Clinton library.

The program, which targets senior citizens and residents with low to moderate incomes, will be offered from 1-5 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday beginning Feb. 2 and continuing through April 15, said Essie Neal, the program's local coordinator.

Those who come will be helped on a first-come, first-served basis, she said.

AARP has been providing the service for at least 20 years, Neal said. "It was set up to help the people who are 60 and over, but we do help other people," she said.

"Everybody charges a lot of money," she said of private firms that assist with tax forms preparation.

Demand for the program in Clinton is high, she said. Last year, between 250 and 300 people got help.

"They usually get there before we do," she said of those needing assistance.

The number of people needing help has grown to the point that AARP now offers two days weekly of tax assistance in Clinton instead of one, she said.

When you come, expect to have to wait a little while until a volunteer can help you, Neal said.

"We have a sign-in sheet, and when you come in, you get a number. It's first-come, first-served. We have a form that you fill out, and once you fill it out you wait for a volunteer to help you."

Even after you've been helped, she said, "we review what they did and make sure it's right."

Among the volunteers lending a hand will be Clinton resident and retiree Ralph Jackson.

"I decided to check in with the Tax Aide program because on occasion, I was helping elderly people who had no clue," said Jackson, whose long career involved the preparation of tax returns and tax documents.

"From my experiences, I knew that if they went to a paid preparer, they would spend a lot of money. I decided to volunteer, and that was 12 years ago."

Over the years, he's seen some folks show up for assistance who really don't need the free program. "We have on occasion had people with six-figure incomes come," Jackson said. "They know it's free."

But most are truly in need, one way or another.

"The people we help have fairly uncomplicated cases, but they need help. It's rewarding to me," he said. "Given the cost the last time I checked - it's about $160 - some people may have to make the choice between putting bread on the table, or paying for preparation of a tax return."

Although the list of materials those needing help should bring with them is long, Neal said, "the main thing we really need is your last year's tax return and any information you have for this year - salary, dividends and such.

"This year will be a big deal with foreclosures and tax credits," she said. "You need to bring that documentation with you."