Seniors offered free income tax preparation

The Retired & Senior Volunteer Program will offer free income tax preparation through April 13 for seniors 60 or older with any income level or those with an income of $50,000 or less regardless of age.

"This is a great program provided by RSVP and is partially supported by our Goebel Center Commission and other support through RSVP," said Andrea Koval, recreation supervisor at the Goebel Senior Adult Center in Thousand Oaks. "Currently, our tax program is one of the largest — serving around 1,000 people. I commend all the training and hard work our volunteers do in order to serve our community."

Participants can expect to receive free state and federal tax preparation from certified volunteers, said RSVP's Cindy Powers.

"Volunteers must participate in an IRS course on tax preparation and must pass three tests to become certified by the Internal Revenue Service," Powers said. "The program has seasoned coordinators who serve as a resource and who provide oversight."

The service will be offered through April 13 on Wednesdays at the Newbury Park library and on Thursdays and Fridays at the Goebel Senior Adult Center. Appointments are taken on a first-come, first-served basis.

"The program completes returns involving stocks and bonds as well as earned income tax credits. The program does not complete tax returns involving rental property or business returns," Powers said. "Due to the popularity of the program, clients might expect a wait as the service operates on a first-come, first-served basis. Tax coordinators also do follow up, should a client receive a letter from the IRS after they have had their taxes prepared through the program."

Many seniors face challenges at tax time, including the encouragement to file electronically, Powers said.

However, "many seniors do not have access to this technology or the confidence to utilize the technology," she said. Yearly changes in the tax code also can be confusing.

"And yet another challenge for seniors on a fixed income is the cost of hiring someone to prepare taxes, which can average $200 to $300 or more," Powers said.

"Most seniors and those that are low-income do not have difficult returns to file, and it will save a person from $100 to $300 having their taxes done here," Koval said. "People periodically get some advice on other incomes, stocks ... that they may not have thought of how it can change or affect their return or something they can claim that they haven't been doing."

The average return last year for those who received a return was slightly more than $1,000, Powers said.

"The 2011 program refunded over $600,000 to participants of the 2011 program. Additionally, last year the tax service saved local residents nearly $400,000 in tax filing fees. This was nearly $1 million back in the pockets of local citizens due to the program," Powers said.