Lawrence County residents with blank tax forms in hand will have four places to seek help next month.

Monday, January 17, 2000

Lawrence County residents with blank tax forms in hand will have four places to seek help next month. The American Association of Retired Persons Tax-aide, the nation’s largest, free, volunteer-run tax counseling and preparation service, will begin help seminars at local libraries Feb. 1.

Last year, Tax-aide volunteers helped more than 750 county taxpayers with their returns, coordinator Ann Lemley said.

Volunteers are being trained in tax preparation by the retirees organization to begin filing federal and Ohio tax returns, or simply answering questions, for needy taxpayers.

The service is free and open to middle- to low-income residents, except those who are self-employed, Mrs. Lemley said.

Tax-aide is administered by the AARP Foundation in cooperation with the Internal Revenue Service, and has become a successful program, she said.

"It’s a free service that helps people at tax time if they come in and spend a couple of hours with us," Mrs. Lemley said.

Trained volunteers can help with everything from handling new child tax credits to filing returns electronically, she said.

"We will e-file but only if we do the return," she added.

Although the days leading up to the April 17 tax deadline will be tough, Mrs. Lemley says she is grateful to donate her time.

"It’s fun and we get to help a lot of people, so it’s worth it."

Sites where walk-in tax preparation service will be available Feb. 1 until April 15 include:

– Wednesdays: Chesapeake Branch Briggs Lawrence County Public Library, noon-4 p.m.

– Thursdays: Southern Branch Briggs Lawrence County Public Library, South Point, 1 p.m.-5 p.m.

– Fridays: Briggs Lawrence County Public Library, Ironton, noon-4 p.m.

– Saturdays: Eastern Branch Briggs Lawrence County Public Library, Proctorville, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

– Feb. 24: Eastern branch, Proctorville, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

– March 30: Eastern branch, Proctorville, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

– Tuesday appointments at the Multi-Purpose Senior Center at Sybene can be made by calling 894-7569.

Taxpayers attending a Tax-aide workshop should bring with them the following:

– The current years tax forms and preparation booklet.

– A copy of 1998’s income tax returns and supporting documents.

– Social Security numbers for all your dependents.

– W-2 and W-2p forms from each employer if you earned a salary.

– Unemployment compensation statements.

– SSA-1099 form if you were paid Social Security benefits.

– All 1099 forms showing interest and/or dividends and original purchase price of sold assets.

– 1099R form from the payer of your pension or annuity.

– All forms indicating federal income tax paid.

– Child care provider information (name, employer, ID, Social Security number).

– All receipts or canceled checks if itemizing deductions.