Question: I am currently unemployed but must file taxes nonetheless. Is there anything for people in my situation, who need help filling out the paperwork?
Q: Is AARP offering free tax service in Hawaii this year?
Q: I am trying to do taxes, but I’m confused. Can someone help me in person, not just over the phone or on the computer? My English is not the best.
A: Yes, yes and yes. Kokua Line has received several questions asking where to get free, individual, in-person tax preparation. There are a few options available, especially for lower-income and older taxpayers. We’ll focus on three highlighted by the Internal Revenue Serv-ice: the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program and the AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide program (which operates most TCE sites).
>> The VITA program offers free help to people who make about $54,000 or less a year, persons with disabilities, seniors and taxpayers with limited English proficiency. IRS-certified volunteers guide participants through basic income tax returns, with electronic filing. To find the nearest site, call 800-906-9887 or use the locator at irs.treasury.gov/freetaxprep.
>> The TCE program focuses on free tax preparation for people 60 and older and specializes in questions about pensions and retirement-related issues. To find the nearest site, call 800-906-9887 or use the locator at irs.treasury.gov/free taxprep.
>> The AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide program helps people with low to moderate incomes prepare their tax returns, giving older taxpayers special attention. You don’t need to be a member of AARP or a retiree to use this service. To find the nearest site, call 888-227-7669 or check www.aarp.org/hi.
Across the three programs, about three dozen Hawaii locations are available. The days and hours of operation vary by site. Most locations accept people on a first-come, first-served basis and do not offer appointments. Ensure ahead of time that a tax expert fluent in your language is available at a specific site; availability of languages other than English varies.
We can’t overemphasize that you must come prepared. Among the items you will need to bring: valid photo IDs for you (and your spouse, if filing jointly); Social Security cards for you, your spouse and dependents; a copy of last year’s federal and Hawaii tax return, if available; wage and earning statements (forms W-2, W-2G, 1099-R, 1099-Misc); interest and dividend statements (forms 1099); all forms 1095 (health insurance statements); and relevant information about your expenses and potential deductions (such as home mortgage interest, child care costs, college tuition and donations to charity).
One note: These IRS-affiliated programs generally prepare basic returns. Taxpayers requiring complicated Schedule D’s (capital gains and losses), for example, would be excluded, even if they met the program’s income requirements, according to the IRS.
For a complete list of what you’ll need to bring, and a list of tax forms the VITA and TCE programs will and won’t prepare, see 808ne.ws/1PVDjUg. For general information about all three programs, see 808ne.ws/1nQmXX7.
Auwe
I have encountered so many drivers who don’t know where they are going or don’t plan their routes. They turn left or right from the middle lane. They go straight when they are in a turn lane. They block lanes of traffic because part of their car is sticking into other lanes because they’re in the wrong lane. I’ve seen drivers cut across three lanes on the freeway to get to an offramp. They couldn’t be in the right lane ahead of time. I was behind one car that was supposed to be turning left from Makaloa to Kalakaua. He stops at the green light. It turns yellow, then red. Now he puts his right signal on to turn toward Waikiki. He’s turning from the left lane to go right. It was so aggravating to watch a driver so oblivious and so lost. If this sounds like you, do the rest of us a favor: Update your GPS or your Garmin. Plan your route ahead of time. Know which lane turns right, left or goes straight. When you don’t know where you are going or don’t know the rules of the road, you are a menace and dangerous, not to mention aggravating. Better yet, stay off the road until you get oriented. Sheesh! — Exasperated driver
Write to “Kokua Line” at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
