AARP Tax Aide

AARP Tax Aide offers free tax preparation services to low and moderate income taxpayers.  Now in its 50th year, Tax-Aide has helped 50 million taxpayers – and counting.  You don’t have to be an AARP member, and there’s no age requirement to get tax help from IRS-certified volunteers.

Those IRS-certified volunteers include us.  When we moved to Beaver Dam for the winter, we volunteered for Tax Aide, primarily because there was no Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program in Mesquite.  Makes sense – there are a lot of seniors in Mesquite and the surrounding areas. 

The Tax Aide program requires the same certification as VITA, plus a senior-specific training that we learned a lot from.  VITA’s focus is on getting low-income taxpayers their Earned Income Credit, where Tax Aide focuses on the needs of seniors.  We learned how to calculate the taxable portion of annuitized pensions and how to give a retired Public Service Officer a well-deserved tax break.  We also learned how to advise our clients who really don’t need to file a tax return at all.

In many ways, Tax Aide is simpler.  We saw no disputes over which parent gets to claim which child, and very few penalties under the Affordable Care Act.  Most of our clients have Medicare.  But in other ways it’s more complicated.  The more well-to-do clients are receiving Required Minimum Distributions from their IRAs, and taking capital gains and losses from their stock portfolios.

In two days working at the Mesquite Senior Center, I saw more W2G’s than I’d seen in six years in VITA.  What’s a W2G?  It’s a report of gambling winnings.  Casinos are required to report winnings of $1200 or more to the IRS.  Most players who report significant winnings also report significant losses.  Here’s the rule:  Winnings are considered income and are directly taxed.  Losses can be deducted if you can itemize deductions, but only up to the amount won.  Not a very favorable situation for the gamblers of the world, and they usually tell us about it. 

When we worked VITA it made me happy to see a single mother supporting her children get an earned income credit of $2000 - $3000.  Now, working Tax Aide, it makes me happy to see the 70 to 90 set bringing in a good income in retirement, enjoying their lives, and not having to worry about their taxes.  So far my oldest client is 93.  Hoping to see him again next year!

The Mesquite Senior Center

This year we’re volunteering as tax preparers for AARP Tax Aide.  Tax Aide uses the same IRS-sponsored certification tests, the same process, and the same tax software as the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program that we’ve supported for so long.  And since it’s a program to help seniors, what better place to meet than the Senior Center? 

When I started this blog by researching fun things to do in retirement, visiting a Senior Center didn’t make the cut.  Somehow I had it in my brain that I would never be old enough to go to the Senior Center. 

Turns out I am.  According to the Mesquite Senior Center newsletter, patrons 60 and older qualify for the reduced lunch price of $3.50, and are welcome at all events.  Who knew?  So I read through the newsletter.  In January they had a line dancing party; they had a Valentine’s dinner in February, and a murder mystery dinner in March.  They offer several crafts each month for a minimal charge, and several exercise classes including low-impact Zumba.

We were told by our Tax Aide colleagues that they usually eat lunch on the days they work.  We tried it on training day, and it was actually very good.  Coffee, lemonade, and punch are available at no charge all day long.  I am absolutely amazed at the efficiency of the center.  They cook the lunches on site and package them for the Meals on Wheels program.  When lunch hour starts, all you have to do is sign in, pay your $3.50 and sit down.  The staff serves you with a smile.  Of course, we’ve eaten lunch there every time we’ve worked.

The center is open 5 days a week from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.  Classes are available during these times, as are tables to play cards and do puzzles, or just have coffee and visit with friends.  They also schedule field trips to exotic places such as Las Vegas. 

So, while I’m still not old enough to spend my days at the Senior Center, I’m pleased to know about the services offered, and count me in for lunch.