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Date: 2/4/2021
HILLTOWNS – For Hilltown small business owners and residents with questions about 2020 tax returns, accountant, bookkeeper and tax preparer Dorine Lasky will be hosting a free “Ask the Tax Pro” Zoom class on Feb. 24 at 6 p.m.
Offered through the Southern Hilltowns Adult Education Center (SHAEC), Lasky will answer questions on tax changes in 2020, as well as the ramifications of COVID-19 relief funds.
Lasky has over 25 years experience in the field, and is currently a self employed tax advisor.
While the workshop is geared to small businesses, her particular area of expertise, she will also go over new tax changes for 2020, seven of which she said are important to individuals.
Lasky said one of the biggest changes is how you have to report the stimulus check. “Your stimulus checks; even though they’re not part of your gross income and you don’t have to pay taxes on (them), you still have to put that information on the tax return,” she said.
Other changes include a change in retirement minimum distribution; claiming charitable deductions if you don’t file a Schedule A, and a decrease in gas mileage reimbursement.
“Not one tax return is the same. Every return is individualized and geared towards your finances, and it requires a lot of planning,” Lasky said.
When asked whether she thought the Internal Revenue Service may extend the filing date again this year, Lasky said she hadn’t gotten that impression so far, but the IRS is not accepting returns until Feb. 12.
Sign ups for the free class, sponsored by the Hilltown CDC with grant funding from the Mass Growth Capital Corporation, are available at shaec.org/registration-form/.
Specific tax questions for the workshop may be emailed in advance to Michele Kenney, program director for SHAEC and economic development coordinator for the Hilltown CDC at MicheleK@hilltowncdc.org.
Kenney said Hilltown Community Development will not be offering AARP community tax prep assistance this year due to ongoing safety concerns for volunteers, staff and clients.
For clients who live in Hampshire or Franklin counties who have incomes of $31,900 or less (for a single filer), Community Action Pioneer Valley is providing free tax assistance, Kenney said. Clients will need to be able to scan and email their documents to participate this year. Those who do not have that ability are encouraged to wait until after March 1, since Community Action is working on a possibility of a “drive through” scanning of documents. For additional information and to schedule an appointment please visit Community Action at https://www.communityaction.us/freetaxassistance or call 376-1136.
An additional resource is AARP’s free online tax assistance website. There are no income limits or other restrictions for people to utilize the AARP self-prepared service.
AARP also recently put out the following article “Ten things to know about your 2020 tax returns” that discusses some tax changes for 2020, what to do if you haven’t received the stimulus checks, and other relevant topics: https://www.aarp.org/money/taxes/info-2021/getting-ready-to-file-2020-taxes.html.