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Date: 1/2/2020
CHESTER – The Hilltown Community Development Corporation has partnered with the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide to offer free tax preparation for Hilltown residents with low- and moderate-incomes, and is seeking volunteers at the Village Enterprise Center in Chester.
Michele Kenney, economic development director for Hilltown CDC and president of the Southern Hilltowns Adult Education Center, will run the program at the Valley Enterprise Center. She said they are looking for people willing to learn how to do taxes, but also welcome volunteers with experience and retired professionals.
“The more volunteers we have, the more people we can serve,” Kenney said. She said most of the people they help are low-income seniors, but not all. She said volunteers make a difference by helping taxpayers and their families who might otherwise miss out on the tax credits and deductions they’ve earned, such as the senior circuit breaker tax credit, which she said a lot of seniors qualify for and don’t know about.
All volunteer tax preparers complete tax preparation training and IRS certification. Additionally, mileage reimbursement is offered. Kenney said volunteers will also receive a “really nice” grey button-down shirt with AARP on the pocket.
Trainings will begin on Saturdays in January, but interested volunteers must call first. Appointment hours for tax preparation at the Chester site will be every other Friday and Saturday, beginning in February.
To learn more about becoming a Tax-Aide volunteer in the Hilltowns, please contact local coordinator Michele Kenney at 354-1055 or email MicheleK@hilltowncdc.org
AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is the nation’s largest volunteer-run tax-preparation service. There are a variety of volunteer roles, including tax preparers, client facilitators, those who can provide technical and management assistance, and interpreters. Every level of experience is welcome.
AARP Foundation Tax-Aide began with four volunteers in 1968, and has served over 68 million taxpayers since its inception. The program now involves 35,000 volunteers and serves over 2.5 million taxpayers annually at nearly 5,000 sites nationwide. In 2019 taxpayers who used AARP Foundation Tax-Aide received $1.4 billion in income tax refunds and more than $200 million in Earned Income Tax Credits (EITCs). Taxpayers do not need to be a member of AARP or a retiree to use Tax-Aide.