WATCH: AARP Tax-Aide sessions reduced, held only at library

Debbie Brown, AARP Foundation Tax-Aide state and local coordinator, is interviewed recently at the Garland County Library. - Photo by Donald Cross of The Sentinel-Record
Debbie Brown, AARP Foundation Tax-Aide state and local coordinator, is interviewed recently at the Garland County Library. - Photo by Donald Cross of The Sentinel-Record

The AARP Foundation Tax-Aide service has limited this year's free sessions to two contact meetings and will also merge all sessions to one location, due to a reduction in volunteers and a need for a location that offers better COVID-19 safety measures, the local coordinator says.

"The Hot Springs Village and Hot Springs sites will merge into one site at Garland County Library," located at 1427 Malvern Ave., Debbie Brown, AARP Foundation Tax-Aide state and local coordinator, said.

"We are merging sites into one site because of the ability to social distance and lack of volunteers to run both sites. COVID-19 has changed our process dramatically from the service we have provided the community in the past."

Brown said she has had a hard time finding volunteers this year, due to COVID, but despite changes, they will still offer free confidential income tax preparation, counseling services, and e-filing for both federal and state returns.



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AARP Foundation Tax-Aide provides in-person and virtual tax assistance to anyone free of charge with a focus on taxpayers who are older than 50 and have low to moderate income, according to Bill Davidson, AARP TaxAide leader.

Sessions will be held Feb. 1 through April 15, Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with extended hours on Monday of 1:30-5 p.m.

An appointment must be set up by calling 501-881-4832. Scheduling hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Two appointments will be scheduled and appointments will be one week apart. The second appointment time will not be able to be changed, since only a limited number of returns will be processed this tax season.

According to a news release, participants do not need to be an AARP member to take advantage of the program. All returns will be prepared by trained IRS-certified AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteers based on the 2021 tax law.

"Our top priority has always been a quality, accurate tax return and this year your safety, the library staff and the safety of our volunteers are top priorities as well," a news release said.

Sanitation procedures will be utilized during the appointment, such as spraying hands with alcohol and desks and chairs will be cleaned between clients.

For the first appointment, people are asked to arrive 15-20 minutes early, wear a mask and check in at the desk near the front of the library. No children are allowed in the tax preparation area.

Bring an ink pen, and if tax forms are in envelopes, open and flatten the papers. Be prepared with a photo ID of the taxpayer and spouse, if married, and a Social Security card or Social Security statement for everyone on the tax return.

A counselor will review the Intake Booklet and tax documents, and documents will be scanned and uploaded to a secure, encrypted AARP Foundation Tax-Aide file, according to the release.

"Amended returns may not be an option this year because of the complexity of the process and because the appointment calendar will fill up," it said.

Certified volunteers will prepare and quality review the tax return remotely using AARP Foundation Tax-Aide encrypted equipment and software.

For the second appointment, check in at the scheduled time. If married, both taxpayers must be at the appointment, and photo IDs and Social Security cards or statements must be presented again.

"Please be prepared. We will not be able to 'add' a document you forgot about from your first appointment because there will not be enough volunteers & AARP Tax-Aide computers at the site to do so," the release said. "Have your IDs ready, questions ready and requests for estimated vouchers before your tax return is printed. Again, the goal is very limited contact."

For married couples filing jointly, both taxpayers must be at both appointments because of the required IRS Virtual Taxpayer Consent form. The form gives permission to scan documents and must be signed by both taxpayers.

"Many of the taxpayers take the standard deduction on the Federal tax return but itemize on their Arkansas return since the Arkansas standard deduction ($2,200 single/$4,400 MFJ) is so low compared to the Federal. It is important, if you want to itemize, be prepared to use our Schedule A-Estimated Tax Summary Sheet," the release said.

Items that will be needed when visiting the site include the following:

• All income-related documents, including 1099s, W-2s, SS statements, interest statements, dividend statements, all pages of brokerage statements, gambling statements, and income such as self-employment.

• All expense-related documents, including taxes paid, mortgage interest, property taxes, medical, charity, tuition statements, child care statements, and business expenses if you are self-employed.

• 1095-A, for Marketplace Health Insurance.

• 2020 tax return envelope.

• 2019 and 2020 tax return envelopes, for people who work and receive a W-2. "We might be able to use your 2019 earnings to calculate Earned Income Tax Credit. The software will pick the most advantageous and give you the greatest credit," the release said.

• IRS Letter 6475, "Your 2021 Economic Impact Payment." The IRS will mail this letter in late January. "In early 2021, you should have received an Economic Impact Payment or 'Stimulus" Payment.' It was $1,400 for each person on the tax return. We need that information for your tax return. It is reportable but not taxable."

• IRS Letter 6419, "2021 Total Advanced Child Tax Credit Payment" letter from the IRS, if applicable. The IRS will mail this letter out in late January. "This information is reportable on your tax return."

• For direct deposit of refund, a check or documentation of bank routing and account number printed by the banking institution. No handwritten routing/account numbers will be accepted.

"We will begin preparing returns that have a 1099B (the sale of stocks, bonds or mutual funds) after March 14 ... due to the fact that brokerage statements are not required to be in the mail until mid-March," the release said.

"We will not be preparing returns of states other than Arkansas," it said. "The exception is a small amount of oil or gas royalty from another state. The tax software provided to us by the IRS will not allow us to prepare a complete and accurate other-state tax return."

Also, "You must be a full-year resident of Arkansas. We are not able to prepare part-year tax returns because of the limitations of the tax software."

Brown says the new two-visit, limited-contact model might "be a challenge for you and for each of our volunteers," and "because of that, we will only be able to serve about half of the taxpayers we normally do."

"Please be mindful of those in our community who can least afford to pay for a tax return and consider going to a paid preparer if you can afford to do so," Brown said.

"At any point if the health crisis becomes worse or there is a lack of volunteers willing to work with the public, the local coordinator reserves the right to close the site," she said.

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