There might not be any such thing as a free lunch, especially in the financial field, but a tax-help service staffed by IRS-certified volunteers certainly comes close.

Granted, not everyone can qualify for the personalized, no-cost service available at dozens of sites around Arizona, and thousands nationally, through the VITA/TCE program. But people with moderate incomes, generally $58,000 or less, and fairly uncomplicated returns can take advantage of it, along with higher earners who are 60 or older, disabled individuals and those for whom English is a second language.

Erika Cooper, a graphics designer, decided to give the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance/Tax Counseling for the Elderly program a try after paying an accountant friend $100 last year to file her tax returns, only to realize later that he missed some breaks that reduced her refund.

Cooper, who is also a part-time college student, said she had a "fantastic" experience with the new service, wrapping up her 2021 federal and Arizona returns this year. She also is filing amended returns for 2020 through the VITA/TCE program to capture a bigger refund for that year.

Valerie Edwards, who reviewed Cooper's return, is a volunteer who received training from the IRS. She likes the challenge of helping people complete their returns. "It's kind of like putting a puzzle together," she said.

Edwards also tries to instruct people about their tax situation. "I don't want anyone leaving my table who doesn't understand their tax return," she said. Some taxpayers are fearful of the whole tax-return preparation process, she added.

Plenty of appointments available

Even with free, in-person help available, the VITA/TCE program hasn't been preparing as many tax returns as in past years, said Jim Simpson, a certified public accountant who oversees the program at Scottsdale Community College, where Edwards helped Cooper with her returns. The COVID-19 pandemic probably played a role in that, as the VITA/TCE program had to shut down late in the 2020 tax season and never opened at all last year, he said.

Also, many taxpayers don't know about the VITA/TCE program and might confuse it with IRS Free File, where moderate-income individuals can use software to prepare their returns at no cost, but without in-person assistance.

"I'll bet 50% of the people who can qualify for this program aren't aware of it," Simpson said.

Taxpayers also might assume they won't receive as large of a refund going with a free service staffed by volunteers, but the software used in the VITA/TCE program will prompt preparers to ask about breaks such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Retirement Saver's Credit.

One other benefit: The volunteer VITA/TCE preparers don't try to sell other financial services, as is often the case for-profit companies. Nor are the volunteers "under pressure to crank out returns," Simpson said. In fact, the session when Edwards helped Cooper prepare her return on March 23 at Scottsdale Community College was lightly attended at times.

Not everyone is eligible

Appointments are required at some locations to make sure the sessions are adequately staffed. Anyone interested in finding a nearby location and making an appointment should go to irs.gov and search for "find a location for free tax help" or go to https://www.irs.gov/individuals/find-a-location-for-free-tax-prep. Some 46 sites are listed within a 50-mile radius of downtown Phoenix.

That said, the volunteer preparers in the VITA/TCE program don't tackle some tax situations, largely because of complexities, Simpson warned. These include people owning rental homes and who must file Schedule E, those claiming home-office deductions, small businesses that generate losses and anyone with taxable cryptocurrency transactions. All that is addition to the general $58,000 income cap.

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But for many others, taking advantage of VITA/TCE help can be a a convenient, no-cost way to navigate the annual income-tax ritual.

"We do quality returns, make sure they understand their situation and file the returns electronically," Edwards said. "All they have to do is wait for their refunds."

IRS offices open again

IRS offices in Arizona have opened again following pandemic shutdowns last year.

Typically, these Taxpayer Assistance Centers are open Monday through Friday and operate by appointment only. Taxpayers seeking in-person assistance can schedule a meeting by calling the agency at 844-545-5640.

However, the IRS office at 4041 N. Central Ave. in Phoenix has two walk-in Saturdays coming up, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 9 and May 14, when appointments won't be needed. The IRS office at 300 W. Congress St. in Tucson will be open on April 9 only.

This year's regular filing deadline, for federal and Arizona returns, is April 18. However, automatic extensions may be requested, giving taxpayers another six months to complete and file their returns.

Reach the reporter at russ.wiles@arizonarepublic.com.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: IRS service VITA/TCE offers free, in-person tax help in Phoenix area