I volunteered as a tax return preparer for the AARP Tax Aide program at the Edmonds Library several years ago. At the time, I was taking a hiatus from my career as a tax lawyer to stay at home with my two young daughters. The Tax Aide program presented an opportunity to get out of the house, talk to grown-ups, and use my education.
Like all Tax Aide volunteer preparers, I completed training on individual federal tax issues, focusing on the provisions that affect older and lower-income people. I was also required to pass an Internal Revenue Service certification test. My fellow volunteers included accountants and others with years of tax preparation experience, along with first-timers like me.
In the course of hour-long appointments, I met individuals and couples who have lived in Edmonds for decades, and others who had recently emigrated from Eastern Europe. I learned there’s more to preparing tax returns than simply crunching numbers and entering them into the IRS software program. To put the numbers into context and make sure I was getting them the best result, I really needed to get to know the people who needed tax prep assistance, to gain their confidence.
For one couple, that meant discussing the large bills they had incurred for infertility treatments. They were relieved to find out that in their case, the costs were deductible as medical expenses. I met a young woman who had moved to Edmonds from Bulgaria and worked two part-time jobs, and parents who were eligible to receive money back from the government in the form of the earned income tax credit. I got to know fellow members of my community, and they were grateful for the help with what can seem like a daunting task.
The Tax Aide program has been one of the many valuable resources available at the Edmonds Library and elsewhere in the county now for many years. A volunteer preparer generates a draft return, and then a quality reviewer looks over each return, making sure it is correct before filing. A lot has changed since the days of paper tax forms and pencils — today, the program uses laptop computers and printers from the IRS and AARP. Last tax season, Tax Aide volunteers at the Edmonds Library prepared over 500 electronic returns.
To receive help with your taxes, you must make an appointment by visiting the Library’s Information Desk in person, pick up a packet of papers, and fill them out prior to the appointment. Appointments are available on Tuesdays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Appointments take place in the Library’s conference room, where there are five stations set up. Plenty of appointments are still available, right up through the tax filing deadline of April 15.
If you’d rather prepare and file your own taxes, there are other resources available to help you at the Edmonds Library. While library staff can’t offer expert tax advice, they can point you to the right information to locate the information you need. You can even print paper tax forms from the IRS website at the library for free. And if you do set up an appointment through the Tax Aide program, you will be sure to meet a volunteer who will help you file your taxes and walk out of the library with a smile.
Susan Schalla is a resident of Edmonds.
Edmonds Library
The Edmonds Library, part of the Sno-Isle Library system, is located at 650 Main St, Edmonds. Its phone number is 425-771-19
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
