Volunteers Offer Help With Tax Forms

Free tax assistance will be available to the elderly, the handicapped, nonEnglish speakers and people with limited income at more than 20 local sites from February through midApril.

Sponsored by the Internal Revenue Service and VITA, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance group, the program is designed to provide free assistance in filling out Form 1040EZ, a basic form 1040, or Form 1040A, according to Bobbi Piacquadio, spokesperson for the Spokane Taxpayer Service Division.

“There are a lot of people in the Spokane area who take advantage of the VITA program, primarily the low-income,” said Piacquadio. “The volunteers are really enthusiastic about helping them … That’s what we’re here for.”

While most deductions and credits will be included in the assistance program, tax issues such as capital gains and business expenses will not be addressed, Piacquadio said.

Most VITA volunteers are college undergraduates, law students, retirees and members of professional organizations who receive a special training course in basic tax preparation.

About 150 VITA volunteers at 40 sites assisted 2,912 taxpayers in the Spokane area last year.

For more information, contact the IRS main information number 1-800-829-1040.

The assistance will be available at the following times and locations:

Spokane County Library, Argonne branch, N4322 Argonne, Tuesdays through April 11, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Spokane County Library, Valley branch, E12004 Main, Wednesdays through April 12, 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Spokane County Library, Otis Orchards branch, E22324 Wellesley, every other Saturday beginning Feb. 11-April 8, 10 a.m. to noon

University City Shopping Center (in front of JC Penney’s), Saturdays through April 15, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Deaf Services Center, N1206 North Howard, Saturdays, March 4-April 15, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.