AARP Tax Aide, Samaritan Center offer help preparing returns

Tax season is in full swing.

At Jefferson City's First Assembly of God Church, 1900 Route C, AARP Tax Aide will be available from 9 a.m.-noon on Fridays, except Good Friday and any school “snow day,” through April 14.

Linda Harms helps Roy Coplen with some difficult calculations as they provide tax assistance at the First Assembly of God Church. (Stephen Brooks/News Tribune photo)

Linda Harms is district coordinator and has been involved with the program for 10 years.

“We have no age limit and no income limit,” she said. “We do only simple taxes and can handle things like earned income credits or child tax credits.”

On a normal day, Harms said, about 40 people use the service. She said all the preparers at the center have to go through training in January in order to be certified.

“The main thing people need to have when they come see us is the proper paper work, especially the right information on their W-2 forms,” she said. “If the W-2s aren't correct, then we can't proceed. Also, if you have your tax return from last year, that can help.”

Harms said there is a reason that everyone, even those who don't have to file taxes this year, should be looking at getting them done.

“There is a one-time-only telephone excise tax rebate from the federal government,” she said. “Anyone who files can get anywhere from $30 to $60. The feds are not advertising this, and $30 to some people is a lot of money.”

Another place to get tax preparation help is at the Samaritan Center, 1310 East McCarty St.

“This is the fourth year we've offered this assistance and it has grown every year,” said Ben DeFeo, community outreach specialist with the center. “We had 118 families file their taxes through us last year.”

During the center's first year, it was able to get clients about $30,000 in tax credits and refunds. Last year, that figure was over $98,000.

DeFeo said the key to success is the support the center gets from volunteer accountants.

“We've had people that have gone four to six years since doing their taxes, for various reasons or circumstances,” he said. “Thanks to those volunteers, we've been able to help get these folks credits or refunds that they can use to pay bills.”

Defeo said preparers at the center file taxes electronically so clients can get their credits or refunds as fast as possible.

To qualify for tax preparation help from the Samaritan Center, DeFeo said clients have to be at 125 percent of the federal poverty level.

The service is offered through April 14, when volunteers are available at the center during its normal business hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday.

Lewis Hancock, left, assists Edgar Montgomery with his 2007 taxes Friday at the First Assembly of God Church. (Stephen Brooks/News Tribune photo)