The AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is again offering free tax preparation guidance at the College Oaks Park Community Center, 3518 Ernest St., through Tax Day, Tuesday, April 18.
IRS-certified volunteers meet with attendees on a first-come, first-served basis from 8-11 a.m. every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, with the exception of tomorrow’s Mardi Gras holiday.
All are welcome, though services are targeted at low- and middle-income seniors, as retirement and other life changes can make taxes more complicated.
An AARP membership is not required, and attendees should bring relevant documents, including personal identification, last year’s tax returns and W-2 or 1099 forms. Volunteers work one-on-one with attendees, sorting through documents and walking through IRS tax software on AARP-provided laptops.
Jim Blake first visited the Tax-Aide four tax seasons ago, seeking help claiming an investment loss.
Blake said he keeps coming back, though, because the services have made taxes much simpler.
“They’re genuinely interested in doing the job well and helping us,” Blake said.
District director Ron Kasper said the College Oaks location facilitates around 500 returns each year.
A line usually awaits him when he opens the door at 8 a.m., so Kasper recommends arriving early to ensure same-day service.
“People keep coming back year after year, and I take that as a pat on the back,” Kasper said.
Kasper said volunteers “try to help everybody,” but some returns, such as those involving annuities, are too complex for the Tax-Aide and require professional services from a certified public accountant.
Unlike CPAs, who sign clients’ returns as preparers, Tax-Aide volunteers simply assist attendees in filing their own taxes.
Kasper’s College Oaks operation is one of over 5,000 Tax-Aide locations nationwide. According to aarp.org, the Tax-Aide program has helped nearly 50 million taxpayers since its 1968 founding.
Kasper started volunteering in 1999, when filing returns was a paper-and-pencil process. He said his district was among the first to adopt an all-digital workflow.
In recent years, decreasing volunteers has reduced his district’s four locations to just one. Outside of Kasper’s district, Tax-Aide services are also provided at the Moss Bluff Senior Center, 2868 N. Highway 171.
This year marks the service’s third at College Oaks, and Kasper said he’s grateful to the City of Lake Charles for providing the facility.
Steve Rice, a 23-year volunteer, has worked at Tax-Aide since his own retirement in 1992.
“We can save people a little money, and it’s a great service that gives back to the community,” Rice said.
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