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MARIETTA – AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteers working at the Knights of Columbus hall in Marietta and St. Bernard Catholic Church in Beverly provide free tax preparation for often financially hard-pressed senior citizens each year, saving them hundreds of dollars in tax preparation fees.
The need is great and growing, according to a press release from Tax-Aide. Every year Tax-Aide has to turn away in-need senior citizens for lack of volunteers.
According to Tax-Aide, if you do your own taxes, you already know much of what you need to know. Tax-Aide provides training, software, a computer and ongoing support throughout the tax season. No one works alone, and each return is double-checked for accuracy.
Volunteers come from all walks of life, including clerks, accountants, hairdressers and even a beekeeper or two. All share a desire to help their neighbors keep more of the money they've earned.
Each person served this past year saved an estimated $282 in tax preparation fees, and those who qualified for a refund received an average refund of more than $1,400 - money often badly needed by aging neighbors for medicine, food and fuel. According to Tax-Aide, volunteers provided a calm and confident hand to senior citizens at an often stressful time.
For more information or to register to volunteer, go to the Tax-Aide website, aarpfoundation.org/TaxaideVolunteer, or call 1-888-227-7667. Locally, Prospective Volunteer Specialist Judy Gardiner can be reached at ohio2taxaide@gmail.com to answer questions.