Many hands make light work – and the more hands the better for Tax-Aide, a volunteer organization getting ready for the upcoming tax season.
“We’re looking for people who want to help other people,” said Bill Mischler, a local coordinator for the group.
For 52 years, AARP Foundation Tax-Aide nationally has served more than 68 million taxpayers – for free. In St. Lucie County, the organization helps hundreds of people file their taxes at no cost. There are no age or income restrictions on who can use the volunteer service.
It’s for that reason that Tax-Aide is seeking more volunteers to help out at any or all of its locations around the county. “We would love to expand the program,” Mischler said. “We can’t do that without more volunteers.”
The St. Lucie County Library System has requested more days and hours of tax prep help at both Lakewood Park and Morningside libraries, as well as offering assistance at other branches.
Mischler is hoping to find four or five people willing to donate their time to the cause.
“They don’t need to be a tax preparer,” he said. Instead, volunteers can help answer phones, greet clients, organize paperwork and help with technological challenges.
Those who do want to help file taxes will receive IRS-based training and mentoring from longtime volunteers.
All prepared taxes go through a review process by senior volunteers to ensure accuracy before being sent off to the IRS.
“We have a very high accuracy rate with the IRS,” Mischler said. That’s because the volunteers are trained every year to stay current on changes to tax laws, and it’s a close-knit group of volunteers who are eager to help each other out.
Diane Vokac is one such volunteer, helping Tax-Aide for eight years. She had a career in the tax preparation industry, working for one of the paid-to-prepare tax firms. “It was time to give back,” she said of volunteering at Tax-Aide.
She does it because she gets a chance to meet great people and help them get every penny back they’re owed.
“They just love you to death,” Vokac said of the clients.
Those she has helped over the years include young college students out on their own, young families navigating child credits, homeowners and renters, retirees, and mid-aged families who have taken in older parents.
Talking to each client, Vokac gets a feel for their life and has picked up on cues that there could be more tax credits or deductions the client didn’t know were available.
“That’s what I love,” she said. “I just love working with them.”
Those who have taken in an elderly parent might not think to claim the parent on their taxes. The volunteers at Tax-Aide develop an ear for such things. “You hear that in conversation,” Vokac said. “You don’t want to be too nosy,” but questions have to be asked.
It’s just one of many things that volunteers are taught during the process. “We will train them on what they need to know,” Vocak said.
Tax-Aide in St. Lucie County operates during tax season at the following locations:
- Lakewood Park Public Library, 7605 Santa Barbara Drive, Fort Pierce.
- Morningside Library, 2410 SE Morningside Drive, Port St. Lucie.
- Spanish Lakes, 1 Silver Oak Drive, Port St. Lucie.
- Knights of Columbus, 451 SW Ravenswood Lane, Port St. Lucie.
Of course, if more volunteers are added to the roster, more locations could be offered. All are encouraged to learn more about the volunteer opportunities at Tax-Aide by visiting aarpfoundation.org/taxaide or calling 1-888-OUR-AARP (1-888-687-2277).