Local AARP seeking tax-aide volunteers for upcoming tax season

The Chronicle, Centralia, Wash.
·2 min read

Oct. 18—With the new year less than three months away, the local American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Foundation tax-aide volunteer program is seeking volunteers to help Lewis County residents file their 2023 tax returns in early 2024.

Every year, volunteers from this program help hundreds of residents in the county file their federal tax returns at no cost, according to an AARP news release.

Kirsten Klein, an AARP Foundation tax-aide volunteer program coordinator, explained those who volunteer receive official IRS training while learning new skills and connecting with their local community. While some volunteers are certified public accountants, being one is not a requirement.

"Our volunteers come from diverse backgrounds such as registered nurse, engineer, state worker, housewife, military and retirees," Klein said in the

release.

Volunteers choose to be trained as either a client facilitator or counselor.

Facilitator training takes only a few hours, and once completed, facilitators will be able to help taxpayers with filling out paperwork, ensuring they have all needed supporting documents.

Counselor training is more extensive, taking on average around 30 hours. They help taxpayers enter data directly onto IRS forms on computers.

Once a counselor has completed a return, Klein reviews it for accuracy before submitting it to the IRS.

Klein added the majority of taxpayers who use the program in Lewis County have been seniors, including many veterans, but the program is not exclusively for seniors.

"There is no income or age requirement," Klein said.

Instead, tax-aide program eligibility is determined on the complexity of the tax return.

With tax season officially beginning on Jan. 1, Klein is looking to train volunteers now and will hold an orientation day in November to explain the program and training to new potential volunteers, according to the release.

Anyone interested in volunteering can call Klein at 360-836-0960 for additional information.

The AARP Foundation tax-aide volunteer program is supported nationwide and has had more than 26,000 volunteers donate their time and services in over 4,000 communities across the country according to the release.

For more information, visit www.AARPFoundation.org/taxaide.