AARP Maine seeks TaxAide volunteers

AUGUSTA — AARP Maine is looking for TaxAide volunteers who prepare and electronically file federal and state income tax returns for low to moderate income taxpayers.

The program is provided free of charge to eligible taxpayers and volunteers can help their neighbors take away the frustration and stress often associated with income tax preparation. There are tax preparation sites in Madison, Fairfield, Augusta and Hallowell. Although the 2019 tax filing season is still months away, the recruitment and orientation of volunteers is done earlier. Training is in January with actual return preparation starting in February.

The popularity of the program with volunteers is evidenced by the fact that a majority of them continue with the program until health or family issues surface or they decide to become “snow birds,” AARP officials said.

The demand for the AARP TaxAide program increases each year and because of both growth and attrition, new volunteers are needed each year. Volunteers of all ages are welcome and do not need to be members of AARP.

In addition to tax preparation, many other volunteer opportunities are available, including greeting taxpayers, scheduling appointments, assisting with publicity or assuming one of several leadership roles. Once trained, volunteers are asked to commit a minimum of four hours a week over the 10-week tax filing season.

All volunteers are reimbursed on a limited basis for qualified program-related expenses, including mileage. Last spring in Maine, at 56 locations, 278 volunteers met with, answered questions and prepared returns for more than 17,565 Maine taxpayers, out of that number 712 were Maine only tax returns.

For more information, visit www.aarpfoundation.org/taxaide or contact district coordinator Christine Stenberg at christine_stenberg@msn.com or 207-268-5036.