Taxpayers, rebate seekers flock to free filing help

With Tax Day a little over a week away, taxpayers turned out around Spokane County on Saturday for some free help.

Holding a stack of paperwork, Chattaroy resident Connie Klein waited inside Garland Avenue Alliance Church, where AARP Tax-Aide volunteers used laptops and computer software to help filers sort out vexing forms. She previously had used a national tax-preparation firm, but its prices were “outrageous,” she said.

“I’ve been dragging my feet. I actually tried to do them myself, but it was too complicated because we had to do a Schedule D,” used to report capital gains, said Klein, 64.

More Americans are expected to file this year to qualify for hundreds of dollars in federal rebates – starting at $300 for certain low-income individuals and up to $1,800 for families – aimed to spur consumer spending, and local volunteers have noticed an influx. Even without that incentive, 76 volunteers last year assisted more than 5,000 area taxpayers, who received a total of roughly $3.7 million in refunds and credits, according to Spokane County United Way.

“We have been busier because of all the people who normally don’t have to file coming,” said volunteer Mary Abbott. “Those are easy to do, however, so they go fast.”

While the site’s first two weeks in February are the busiest, Abbott said, the stream picks up as the April 15 deadline looms. She said volunteers at the church primarily help working people and seniors, but also those with mental disabilities and those who speak English as a second language.

“We get a lot of people that get the Earned Income Tax Credit, and it’s a major part of their income, and so the sooner they can get it, the better they like it,” she said. “A lot of our people don’t have computers, a lot of them don’t know how to use computers. Also, if you’ve never done taxes, you don’t know what to look for for a (deduction).”

Low- to moderate-income taxpayers who receive rebates might qualify to get a match of as much as $200 from Spokane County United Way, if they put the money in a savings account for three months and attend five hours of financial classes. The money is meant to spur savings.

Taxpayers seeking help from one of 12 county sites must bring necessary documents, such as proof of identity and copies of W-2s, and be prepared to wait. People filing just for stimulus rebates have until Oct. 15 to file.

Wandermere-area retiree Martin Bove, 54, had been waiting for more than an hour. He uses the service so he doesn’t have to worry about paperwork, and volunteers “help you get the most back,” he said.

“It’s always good to get a refund of some sort,” he said. “With gas prices, $300 isn’t going to go very far.”