It can get confusing when it comes to tax season. All the forms to fill out and numbers to crunch make you want to bury your head in a snowbank.
Do you itemize your expenses or use the standard deduction? What’s the difference between an IRA and a Roth IRA, and how do you report it? And is your third home in the Bahamas something you can write off?
We get it – there’s a reason people want a knowledgeable tax person to take care of all those questions. Mostly so they don’t get a surprise visit, letter or phone call from the IRS looking for their money – which we equate to a nicer way of a mobster doing business. But it can get quite expensive to have someone comb through every receipt and expense you documented over the last 12 months – even if it is in an attempt to put more money in your pocket.
And for many, hiring someone to get your forms into the IRS before April 15 just isn’t in the budget.
“It’s an issue for many of our tax payers,” said Diane Vince, the Concord district coordinator.
Luckily there’s help in the form of the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program. There are 10 sites in the Concord district, which if you looked at a map would include the general vicinity of Plymouth to Bow and Barnstead to Contoocook, including three locations in the Concord city limits.
“It’s a fabulous program and it helps so many people in so many ways,” Vince said. “It’s all volunteer.”
The program offers free-of-charge tax preparation and e-filing for low and moderate income taxpayers of all ages. And while the service is not available to everyone, you might be surprised who can be helped. All you have to do is call 2-1-1 and ask. What’s the worst that can happen? They say no and you just don’t do your taxes this year. Just kidding, don’t do that, because it’s generally frowned upon.
“We don’t have an income limit,” Vince said. “We’ll help pretty much anybody whose returns are in the scope.”
Last year, about 13,000 tax returns were completed in the state using the program, with a 97 percent accuracy rate, including about 2,400 in Concord alone. Vince feels that number will be a little higher in 2015.
“It’s busier than I thought it would be,” Vince said.
The tax-aide program is being run at the Centennial Senior Center (254 N. State St.), N.H. Federal Credit Union (70 Airport Road) and the Center for Health Promotion (49 S. Main St.) The last one is by far the busiest, which has to do with its downtown location. It’s open Monday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“We’re booking up fast,” Vince said.
There are usually three or four volunteers at that location, along with two at the other spots in town. All the volunteers have been trained and certified by the IRS to handle the tax preparation season. Each return is peer reviewed to help ensure accuracy.
“To make sure all the pieces are right,” Vince said.
At the South Main Street location, Vince said about 27 returns will be processed each week day, with another 20 during the shorter hours on Saturday.
“We’ll do more than 1,500 returns at this one site,” Vince said.
Tax preparation is done by appointment only and a time slot can be reserved by calling 2-1-1 or visiting the program’s website, nhtaxhelp.org. It will be running right up until April 15.
“Typically the end of March and the first two weeks of April are when we get slammed,” Vince said.
And if you’re wondering what to bring to your appointment, there’s a list on the website – but we want to get you started, so remember your license, social security card, W2s and, of course, yourself.
