The AARP Foundation, in conjunction with the IRS, supports a free service to help taxpayers file their annual income tax returns. The program, called Tax-Aide, is mainly targeted at seniors and low and middle income families but does serve a wide range of taxpayers of any age. Clients do not have to be members of AARP or live in SaddleBrooke to take advantage of this program. A number of SaddleBrooke residents volunteer as counselors under this program.
Each year all counselors are given extensive training in both Federal and Arizona income tax rules. Training on the software which is used to prepare the returns is also provided and the counselors then have to pass IRS tests before they are allowed to prepare a return.
Counselors are able to provide tax assistance to the majority of taxpayers including those who live in SaddleBrooke but are trained to refer taxpayers who have complex tax issues to paid, professional preparers.
As has been the case for a number of years, volunteers trained and certified under the Tax-Aide program will be available in SaddleBrooke to prepare and efile 2016 Federal and/or Arizona tax returns or to answer questions you may have about preparing your returns. This free assistance will be available every Monday, starting February 6, 2017 and ending April 10, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. in The Paloma Room at the DesertView Sports and Theater Center.
Appointments are required. Appointments can be made starting on January 3, 2017 by contacting Neba Reiter by telephone at 818-2342.
To receive the free tax assistance, taxpayers must bring their Social Security Card, a picture ID, last year’s tax returns and all relevant 2016 tax documents. Remember to bring your out-of-pocket medical expenses, including your medical mileage.