AARP offers free service for all ages in Fort Mill – and you don’t have to live here!
Despite moving across the state line, Marc Morris still comes back to Fort Mill to prepare taxes for the AARP Tax-Aide program.
Morris, in his seventh year, was also the training coordinator to the Piedmont region’s 65 program volunteers who come together each year to provide the free, confidential tax preparation service geared to seniors and those with low income. You don’t need to be a senior citizen – or even a resident of Fort Mill – to take advantage of the service.
“We welcome everyone,” said Morris, a retired chief finance officer who resides in Matthews, N.C.
The AARP volunteers prepare state and federal taxes at the Fort Mill Library in Baxter Village, 1818 Second Baxter Crossing, from 12:30 to 6 p.m. every Thursday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Friday. The service is also available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on select Saturdays – Feb. 11 and 25 and March 4, 18 and 25.
The last client is taken an hour and a half before closing time, and tax preparers are IRS certified.
Most days at the AARP site on the second floor of the Fort Mill Library are busy. When the doors open, there are people waiting to get in. Some will wait a few hours before they see a tax preparer. There are no appointments or online reservations; it’s first come, first serve.
The AARP service isn’t restricted by membership, age or income, though it was established to help senior citizens and those with low income.
In the past, preparers have helped seniors, some shaken by the death of a spouse and new responsibilities, as well as young people who have a first job and are saving up for a car.
Morris recalls helping a young couple, both working, with educational expenses. After a few days discussing the situation with other AARP tax preparers at the site, he called the couple back to tell them he had found a better answer.
“They baked us a carrot cake they were so appreciative,” Morris said. “We figured out together the best solution and spent extra time to get it right. That’s what we do.”
Morris advises clients this year to be patient as the AARP program is using new software. Though the preparers are fully trained, he said, the program cannot access past taxpayer information, and everything will have to be entered, he said.
“It’s going to take longer,” he said. “Bring as much information as you can.”
About AARP Foundation Tax-Aide
The program started in 1968 with just four volunteers at one site preparing 100 tax returns. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide now involves more than 35,000 volunteers and serves 2.6 million taxpayers annually at more than 5,000 sites nationwide. For more information, visit aarp.org.
What to bring
The AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program asks you to bring the following items:
▪ Last year’s tax return
▪ Social Security cards or other official documentation for yourself and every individual on your return
▪ Photo identification
▪ Checkbook if you want to direct deposit any refund
▪ Income
▪ W-2 from each employer
▪ Unemployment compensation statements
▪ SSA-1099 form showing the total Social Security benefits paid to you for the year, or Form RRB-1099, Tier 1 Railroad Retirement benefits
▪ 1099 forms reporting interest (1099-INT), dividends (1099-DIV), proceeds from sales (1099-B), as well as documentation showing the original purchase price of your sold assets
▪ 1099-R form if you received a pension, annuity, or IRA distribution
▪ 1099-MISC form
▪ Information about other forms of income
▪ State or local income tax refund
▪ Payments: All forms and canceled checks indicating federal or state income tax paid, including quarterly estimated tax payments
▪ Deductions: Most taxpayers have a choice of taking either a standard deduction or itemizing their deductions. If you have a substantial amount of deductions, you may want to itemize.
You will need to bring the following information:
▪ 1098 form showing any home mortgage interest
▪ A list of medical/dental expenses (including doctor and hospital bills and medical insurance premiums), a list of prescription medicines, costs of assisted living services and bills for home improvements, such as ramps and railings for people with disabilities
▪ Summary of contributions to charity
▪ Receipts or canceled checks for all quarterly or other paid tax
▪ Property Tax bills and proof of payment
▪ Health Insurance
▪ 1095A forms if you purchased insurance through the Marketplace (Exchange)
▪ 1095B/1095C forms (if applicable)
▪ Any exemption correspondence from the Marketplace (if applicable)
Credits: Dependent care provider information (name, employer ID or Social Security number)
▪ 1098-T and 1098-E forms related to tuition and student loan interest
Source: AARP
This story was originally published February 10, 2017 at 6:51 PM with the headline "AARP offers free service for all ages in Fort Mill – and you don’t have to live here!."