Tax Season Doesn't Intimidate Davis and Durkee
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2004-02-06 09:34:00-05:00
Meet Lila Davis. A retired bookkeeper, Davis knows numbers and knows how confusing they can be for others.
Complicated formulas, combined with the often confusing language used by the Internal Revenue Service and a dose of auditing fear, lead many people to ask Davis for help each year.
"People are so afraid of the IRS," the 87-year-old Laramie resident said.
Davis is a Tax-Aide volunteer. From early February through April 15, she and 79-year-old Leora Durkee file income taxes—for other people. They set up computers in the senior center two days a week, confidently handling a chore many dread each year. And they do it all for free.
Tax-Aide is one of many volunteer programs that help people understand and file their income taxes, though Tax-Aide specifically tries to reach people 60 and older with moderate to low incomes. But Wyoming's small population allows local Tax-Aide volunteers to help almost anyone who asks.
"So many people are mixed up about their taxes," said Durkee, a retired special education teacher. "Most people are scared they are going to do something wrong and get in trouble with the government."
Durkee and Davis have been volunteering with Tax-Aide for more than 15 years. Both enjoy working with numbers and people, so volunteering for Tax-Aide made sense to them.
Tax-Aide, a joint program offered by AARP and the IRS, began in 1968 with three volunteers in Washington D.C., according to Lee Weirauch, the Wyoming Tax-Aide communication coordinator.
Tax-Aide went nationwide in 1980 and came to Wyoming the same year. Thirty-five volunteers helped 2,069 taxpayers at 20 Wyoming sites last year.
"Most of the returns we do could be done by the taxpayers themselves, but because it's taxes, people get nervous," Weirauch said. "We don't do anything complex at all."
With the exception of those who are professionally trained to file taxes, all volunteers must take a test before they can be a Tax-Aide volunteer. They are trained to help file 1040EZs, 1040As and 1040s with a Schedule A or B, Weirauch said. They can also help with a basic Schedule D for capital gains and losses.
Davis said rarely is she or Durkee stumped by anyone's taxes. If so, they ask each other and once in a while double-check with the IRS.
"We can't do it all," said Davis.
Electronic filing has made filing tax returns easier and more accurate to file, but Davis said the annual changes to tax law have not.
"Every time the IRS says it's getting simpler, it just gets worse," she explained.
Durkee said that each time the tax law changes, more pages are added to their study guide.
Not everyone who sees Tax-Aide volunteers needs to file a tax form. The IRS has income cut-off points, and those who fall beneath them do not have to submit paperwork. Each year, Davis said she sees a few people who fit these criteria. Some are so afraid not to file that they've asked Davis to provide them with proof for the IRS that they were willing to file.
"As we get older, we're not as sure of ourselves as we once were," Davis said. "I think everyone is a little afraid of the tax system."
Davis said she's glad Tax-Aide provides the services it does for free. Most of the Tax-Aide clientele typically don't have a large enough income to owe taxes.
"It's amazing what some businesses charge—even for simple tax returns," Davis said. "Most of the people we see can't afford that."
Cheyenne resident Joy Tanfield said for years she took her taxes to accountants who were "much too expensive." For the last five years, she's had a Tax-Aide volunteer do her taxes.
"I trust them completely," Tanfield said. "I've never had any problems."
Tanfield, 78, said she was a cashier for 20 years and isn't afraid of numbers, but the tax jargon is too confusing for her.
"It's double wording," she said. "I look at the form and I think, 'No, I couldn't do it.'"
It's a relief, she said, not to have to worry about filling out the forms herself. After she sees Tax-Aide, they file her taxes electronically. She said she waits 10 days, and then her return is in her bank account.
"People are so appreciative," Weirauch said. "Some people bring in a 1040EZ, and to us it's a five-minute job, but to that person it's a comfort."
Bringing comfort to others and receiving the challenge of numbers keep Davis and Durkee interested in their Tax-Aide jobs. Neither plans to retire as a Tax-Aide volunteer any time soon.
"Every year at the end of tax season, I say I won't volunteer again," Davis said. "But then when they send out the test material, I start studying again."
Durkee says something or someone will have to force her to quit.
"I suppose I'll quit when they kick us out," she said. "That, or when we can't pass the test."
To find a Tax-Aide site near you, call 1-888-AARP-NOW (1-888-227-7669) or visit us online. Most sites take walk-ins, but some places require an appointment.
When consulting a Tax-Aide volunteer, remember to bring:
- Last year's tax return
- Verification of you and your family's social security numbers
- W-2, if you have one
- 1099 statements from any interest earned
- Social security and retirement income statements
- Any other income records
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