AARP Volunteers Offer Tax Help at Indian Prairie

Some Indian Prairie Library patrons did something else besides borrow books, music and movies Friday morning. They received help preparing their income taxes.

Each Monday and Friday morning from mid-February to mid-April, AARP Tax-Aide, a free program offered by the Association for the Advancement of Retired Persons, connects volunteer tax aides with community members to help them with their taxes.

“[The tax aides] are so nice, and they do a good job,” said Darien resident Asifa Gehan. “They are humble people.”

Gehan has been receiving help from an AARP tax aide for about six years. She came to the library for tax help after her brother, who had been helping her file for years, passed away. She tried figuring it out on her own before learning about AARP tax aides at the library and now, both she and her sister use the volunteers.

According to Debra Wordinger, head of adult services, this is the first year the IRS is not mailing tax forms and that has created some confusion among patrons. Additionally, with the extension of the Bush era tax cuts late last year, printing of the forms was delayed, she said.

“There’s so many lines that need to be filled in and to go through the instructions – it’s overwhelming for people,” she said. Adding that some patrons who participate were recently widowed and are filing on their own for the first time.

For Gehan, she said the service is especially important nowadays with the high unemployment rate. There are more people in the community who cannot afford to pay for tax preparation services offered elsewhere.

Wordinger agreed.

“A lot of people who don’t make a lot of income, they can’t afford to pay someone to do their taxes, but they need someone to help them go through all of that convoluted wording and confusion,” she said.

AARP Tax-Aide has been at the library for more than 10 years and has been very helpful for patrons, said Wordinger. Last year, about 344 patrons received tax help.

AARP Tax-Aide is the nation’s largest free, volunteer-run tax assistance and preparation service available to taxpayers with low and moderate income, with special attention to those 60 and older, according to AARP documents.

Jack McDonnell, one of the volunteer tax aides, has been helping in the program for about 10 years.

“I enjoy helping people,” McDonnell said. “They appreciate it. They need any break they can get.”

On Friday, appointments were available for April 11 and April 15, the last two days tax aides are scheduled to be at the library, and Wordinger expects those days to be completely booked.