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MADISON, Wis. - 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.
AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteers are providing free tax filing services in communities across the state. Sam Wilson, state director of AARP Wisconsin, says all Tax-Aide volunteers are IRS certified and trained in the latest tax code updates, so they can help identify potential tax credits. "
There's over a thousand volunteers in Wisconsin alone, who've assisted over 67,000 Wisconsinites in the past year in filing their federal tax returns," he points out. "That's about $68 million in refunds alone. And they'll also help you with your state returns."
The assistance is available to taxpayers of any age, not just older adults, and people don't have to be AARP members. Appointments are available through the tax filing deadline of April 15, 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 people will start to prepare their own return, but then they seek help because their filing status or other information has changed. "They may have had a divorce in the past year," he states. "They may have had some independent business expenses. "This really gives people peace of mind that you'll be talking to somebody in person who'd be able to confirm whether or not you've done it correctly, and is offering to file that tax return for you."
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.