City of Glendale - Community Partnerships
Arizona Taxpayers Benefit From AARP Tax-Aide
AARP Tax-Aide in Arizona announces that a tax-counseling service is being started at the R0SS Training Center located at the Cholla Complex, 5320 W. Maryland in Glendale. The AARP Tax-Aide Program will provide preparation of tax returns and the answering of questions free of charge for low–and middle-income individuals, with special attention given to those over 60.
The site is tentatively planned to be open Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings. Betty Talamo has been appointed Local Coordinator of the site. Should AARP acquire addition Counselors, additional times may be added.
AARP is seeking volunteers in the Glendale area. Volunteering with AARP Tax-Aide is easy, and with the 2008 tax-filing season approaching, program coordinators will start to train volunteers. Volunteers receive free tax training. Volunteers of all ages and backgrounds are welcome. They do not have to be a member of AARP.
Greeters sign in customers and help organize their data. The Counselors prepare the tax returns using an interview and input the data from the information the customer provides. Volunteers do not have to be members of AARP. Volunteers who are bilingual are especially needed. AARP Tax-Aide is hoping to expand its outreach to more Hispanic communities in the state with the help of additional bilingual volunteers.
The sites begin preparing taxes Feb 1 and continue thru April 15. Tax returns include wages, investment & retirement income as well as deductions to income and itemized deductions. We ask that our volunteers commit to providing 40 hours during the tax preparation season which amounts to volunteering one day a week at one of our sites.
The volunteers at the sites are fun to work with and preparing returns is very rewarding. As one volunteer said, “AARP Tax-Aide is a program that helps me feel good when I help others. The taxpayers that I have helped tell me how grateful they are and besides that, I have made lots of new friends.”
People interested in volunteering with AARP Tax-Aide can call the program’s toll free number at 1-888-OUR-AARP (1-888-867-2277) or visit www.aarp.org/taxaide to find out more. In Phoenix, phone 623-584-9823 or email cconnor@cox.net.
AARP Tax-Aide is the nation's largest, free, volunteer-run tax counseling and preparation service for middle and low-income taxpayers. AARP Tax-Aide is administered through the AARP Foundation in cooperation with the Internal Revenue Service. The AARP Foundation is an affiliated, 501 (c) (3) nonpartisan charitable organization, established in 1961. It administers publicly and privately funded programs, such as AARP Tax-Aide and the AARP Senior Community Service Employment Program. The Foundation also carries out the Washington, D.C.-based advocacy programs funded through Legal Counsel for the Elderly, Inc. These programs also receive support from AARP.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DECEMBER 1, 2007
CONTACT: NANCY GILILLAND,
AZ DISTRICT 14 COORDINATOR
623 584-9823
Glendale Seeks Volunteers to Assist Low Income Residents File Taxes
Glendale is seeking volunteers to assist in tax preparation for low income residents. A few hours of your time might mean a significant refund to those who can claim the Earned Income Tax Credit and are unable to afford tax preparation services. Volunteers will help hundreds of Glendale families boost their income by up to 35 percent by helping them claim the Earned Income Tax Credit. Volunteers are needed to be site coordinators, tax preparers, screeners, greeters and interpreters. All volunteers will benefit from:
- Flexible hours: daytime, evenings and/or weekends
- Special training for individuals with no previous tax experience
- CPE credits available for CPAs
In the last year, 2,604 taxpayers in Glendale were assisted with this service. The total Earned Income Tax Credit portion of these refunds totaled $558,635. The service will be offered at several sites in the city including the Glendale Community College, 6000 W. Olive Ave. and the Glendale Adult Center, 5970 W. Brown St. To volunteer, contact Dolores L. Herrera at the IRS at 602-207-8416 or via e-mail at dolores.l.herrera@irs.gov. Volunteers must apply by Dec. 31.
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