The time has arrived. Tax time.

We, the AARP Tax-Aide Volunteers, are ready to assist you — the taxpayer — in preparing your 2015 tax return. We focus mainly on the elderly people (ages 60 or older) and those persons within the low- to middle-income bracket.

Our services are free, and we electronically file your return for you (federal, Mississippi or Louisiana). We train very hard to be able to adequately serve you.

The Tax-Aide site will again be located at the George W. Armstrong Library. The location is 220 S. Commerce St. in downtown Natchez. The site will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Wednesday. Assistance will offered through Wednesday, April 13.

We will assist taxpayers on a first-come, first-served basis. We hope to get clients in and out as expediently as possible.

Counselors will be available to possibly answer all of your tax-related questions and prepare your return. Our site fielded over 240 taxpayers last year and we are in hopes that we will increase that number this year.

The Tax-Aide program began in 1968 with only four volunteers and 100 clients. It has grown tremendously over the years with over 35,800 counselors nationwide, servicing over 2.5 million taxpayers in the 2014 tax year. Our local tax-aide volunteers are trained each year during January, using materials developed and provided by the IRS. The training prepares volunteers to handle the basic tax forms (1040, 1040A), as well as the standard state tax forms for both Mississippi and Louisiana.

Should you seek our assistance, please bring the following items: picture ID, a copy of last year’s return, a Social Security card for yourself, your spouse and all dependents, plus all documents defining your income (W-2s, 1099s (INT, DIV, MISC), Social Security benefits statement (SSA 1099), all forms indicating federal income tax paid, and your 1065 (A, B or C) provided you were issued one for proof of health insurance.

If you plan to itemize, you will need to bring supporting evidence — canceled checks or receipts — for those deductions you plan to claim. This needs to be in reasonable order and be legible. You need to show evidence of any real estate taxes paid. Hopefully, you’ve set up a file to store all these documents to make the tax return preparation session a breeze for you and the tax preparer. Also, if you have a refund/balance due and you want direct deposit/debit you will need your checkbook for banking information.

All returns are safe, confidential, accurate, fast and, above all, free!

We look forward to your visit. Let us help you with your tax worries.

 

Jacqulyn B. Williams is the AARP Tax-Aide local coordinator.