By KATHLEEN O’CONNOR/YachatsNews
WALDPORT – Federal and state tax help from a real person.
Yes, once again you can sit down with a trained tax preparer for help with filing your state and federal tax returns beginning Saturday, Feb. 1 and ending April 12.
The program offered by the American Association of Retired Persons is available to everyone, not just retirees.
Volunteers will be available from 1-4 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at the Waldport Community Center, 265 E. Hemlock St. No appointment is necessary. People with questions can call 541-669-0079 and get a response within 24 hours.
Help is also available at the Driftwood Library in Lincoln City from 1-5 p.m. Mondays beginning Feb. 3 and ending April 7. Appointments are necessary in Lincoln City and can be made by calling 541-669-0006.
The certified tax counselors, all volunteers, can help with simple returns but can’t help with returns involving rental income, cryptocurrency, or small businesses with employees.
The volunteers begin a self-study program each December and meet every week in January to continue their training. They refresh their tax law knowledge and update their software skills. Each year they are tested by the IRS, the state of Oregon, and AARP.
There are 11 volunteers at the Waldport site — two greeters, seven tax preparers and two quality reviewers. Most of them have been volunteering for many years, said Kim Hastings, the Waldport site coordinator who has volunteered for seven years.
Each volunteer came to the program almost by chance, Hastings said, but all of them are “all in” from early February to mid-April.
“They find they simply can’t stop,” she says.
The reason for that commitment is the palpable feeling of goodwill that fills the room each tax season, Hastings said. The people who come in are grateful and appreciative for the help, and the volunteers are committed to assuring that each taxpayer gets the credits he or she qualifies for but might not be aware of. This is especially true of the earned income tax credit, which brings thousands of dollars back into the community.
Hastings asks that people seeking tax help first check with this AARP website to see what information and documents they should bring.
For people who want to file their taxes themselves, IRS Direct File is available this year for the first time in Oregon. There is no charge for this program, eliminating the need for products such as Turbo Tax.
