With pencils and calculators in hand, hundreds of volunteers are standing by to help Wisconsin taxpayers crunch the numbers on their 2018 income-tax returns. A-A-R-P Foundation Tax-Aide volunteers are providing free tax-filing services in communities across the state. Sam Wilson, state director of A-A-R-P Wisconsin, says all Tax-Aide volunteers are I-R-S certified and trained in the latest tax code updates, so they can help identify potential tax credits.
The assistance is available to taxpayers of any age, not just older adults, and people don’t have to be A-A-R-P members. Appointments are available through the tax filing deadline of April 15th, but Wilson recommends scheduling an appointment sooner rather than later. Wilson explains the free filing assistance can save people the money they’d spend on a tax professional or the time involved in “going it alone” with online tax software. He says often a person will start to prepare their own return, but then seek help because their filing status or other information has changed.
The service is available at 120 sites in Wisconsin, including senior centers and libraries. Information on scheduling and which documents people need to bring to their Tax-Aide appointment is online at ‘aarpfoundation.org/taxhelp.’
