William Penn Life, 2004 (39. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2004-03-01 / 3. szám
MoneywiSe IRS volunteers make filing returns a bit less taxing Free tax return preparation services available for low income families, the elderly and military personnel PUZZLED BY THE TAX LAW or which credits and deductions to take? Need assistance with your tax return? You may want to visit a volunteer site. The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program or the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) Program offer free tax help if you qualify. Trained community volunteers can help you with special credits, such as Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Child Tax Credit, and Credit for the Elderly for which you may qualify. In addition to free tax return preparation assistance, many sites also offer free electronic filing (e-filing). Individuals taking advantage of the e-file program will receive their refunds in half the time compared to returns filed on paper-even faster if you have your refund deposited directly into your bank account. Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) The VITA Program offers free tax help to low-income (under $35,000) people who cannot prepare their own tax returns. Volunteers sponsored by various organizations receive training to help prepare basic tax returns in communities across the country. VITA sites are generally located at community and neighborhood centers, libraries, schools, shopping malls and other convenient locations. Most locations also offer free electronic filing. To locate the nearest VITA site, call 1-800-829-1040. Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) The Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) Program provides free tax help to people age 60 and older. Trained volunteers from non-profit organizations provide free tax counseling and basic income tax return preparation for senior citizens. Volunteers who provide tax counseling are often retired individuals associated with non-profit organizations that receive grants from the IRS. As part of the IRS-sponsored TCE Program, AARP offers the Tax-Aide counseling program at more than 9,000 sites nationwide during the filing season. Trained and certified AARP Tax-Aide volunteer counselors help people of low-to-middle income with special attention to those age 60 and older. For more information on TCE call 1-800-829-1040. To locate the nearest AARP Tax-Aide site, call 1-888-227- 7669 or visit AARP's Internet site. Military personnel and their families get free tax help The military is one of the strongest partners in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program. The Armed Forces Tax Council (AFTC) consists of the tax program coordinators for the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. The AFTC oversees the operation of the military tax programs worldwide and serves as the main conduit for outreach by the IRS to military personnel and their families. Marines, airmen, soldiers, sailors and guardsmen, and their families, worldwide get tax preparation help at offices within their installations. These VITA sites provide free tax advice, tax preparation and assistance to military members and their families. They are trained and Money Links For more information about VITA, TCE, AFTC and other tax preparation services offered through the IRS, as well as information regarding anything to do with your federal income tax return, log onto the IRS web site at; 3 www.irs.gov If you have looked around the IRS web site and still have not found the answers to your general tax questions, call the IRS toll-free tax assistance line at-1-800-829-1040 4 William Pen Life, March 2004
