By Sabrina Cardin
AMESBURY — It's that time of year again, the time many people dread. It's tax season.
The town is offering residents easy and accessible ways to approach the sometimes daunting task of navigating state and federal taxes. From the library to the Senior Center, the town has arranged a variety of programs to help reach adults and seniors of all demographics.
"On the front line we hear the frustration and confusion that goes along with filing taxes," assistant library director Patty DiTullio said. "Although we are not trained to answer specific tax questions, we find it important to connect people with the appropriate resources to get the answers they need."
Low income, high income, college planning and e-filing are among the complex topics being approached in programs around town.
The Council on Aging offers two months of free services to seniors and adults who are low to moderate income. Until April 15, a volunteer will help walk residents through filing their federal and Massachusetts taxes. Volunteers only need a copy of a 2008 tax returns, 1099s for interest, dividends, IRA statements, sale of stocks and bonds, any IRS tax forms, real estate tax bills and water bills paid last year.
"It's a wonderful program because tax preparation is another way to inform seniors of other programs and services they may be eligible for. And when you look at people having a lower income, it costs money to have your taxes prepared, so without this it would affect seniors and people we serve," said Pamela Brown, director of Amesbury's Senior Center.
Time slots to meet with volunteers fill up very quickly because of the program's popularity, and Brown encourages all who are interested to call as soon as possible. Last year 187 residents received the free service.
"Spots for volunteer tax preparation always fill up. It has become so popular because our volunteers are professionally trained through the AARP, and confidentiality is very strict," Brown said.
At the public library DiTullio allotted recent grant money from Think Ahead Amesbury to fund an H&R Block expert to speak at the library on Tuesday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m. The expert will answer questions regarding funding for children's college experience, educational funding types and education tax credits available.
An in-house program has not been offered through the library for years, but DiTullio felt it necessary to include taxes among her new programs. In recent surveys conducted before she began Think Ahead Amesbury, the librarian said many local adults included tax information among the services the town should offer.
"We would actually like to expand our program next year to include more information sessions, and we are looking into programs that offer no-cost tax preparation assistance," she said.
For those who cannot leave their home or are too busy to attend many of the local classes, DiTullio has gathered a wealth of online information for residents. On the library's Web site is a link titled Tax Time. This is the second year Tax Time has been offered, and the newly expanded site includes links to information sites ranging from e-filing your taxes to forms available at the library and online.
"The response to online information has been great. Staff and patrons alike find it useful to have this much information gathered in one place," DiTullio said. "This year we expanded the page to include frequently asked questions and directed some questions toward seniors."
DiTullio's Think Ahead Amesbury program also regularly offers computer education, English as a Second Language and guest speakers. A full list of the programs is available on the library's Web site.
"Think Ahead is going wonderful. We are trying to offer a little bit of everything in our attempt to touch the needs and interests of a very varied constituency of patrons," DiTullio said. "We have seen a good turnout so far, and people have been enthusiastic about what we're doing."
Program information
To schedule an appointment for a volunteer to prepare taxes at the Council on Aging, call 978-388-8138.
To learn more about Think Ahead Amesbury or access tax information online, go to the public library Web site at www.amesburylibrary.org and click on the link labeled Tax Time.
For questions about the program or the library's Web site, call the library at 978-388-8148.
No registration is required for the tax program available at the library.
