Tax volunteers rack up $818,500 in refunds

Sharon A. Bouchard, family center director at the Community Action Planning Council of Jefferson County Inc., credits 14 dedicated volunteers for helping county residents collect $818,500 in income tax refunds.

Mrs. Bouchard said she doesn't know what the community would do without the Internal Revenue Service-certified volunteer tax preparers because they prepare taxes free of charge, through the state Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.

"They know what to look for," she said. "They train for weeks ahead of time, and that happens on a weekly basis sometimes as new things come up through the IRS."

With the 2010 filing, the 14 volunteers logged 1,783.75 hours of service and handled 904 tax returns among five CAPC-sponsored sites.

Mrs. Bouchard said she thinks the program has done well over the past several years because people learn about it through word of mouth and come back each year because they know and trust the volunteers. Some of the volunteers have prepared people's taxes for one or two decades.

Volunteers prepared 25 more returns this year than in 2009. They will be honored for their service at 9:30 a.m. May 17 during a recognition breakfast at the Children's Home of Jefferson County, 1704 State St.

"We have people who are 90 years old doing this that know more about all that and computers than I do," Mrs. Bouchard said. "The local Association for the Blind lent us some equipment so one of our continuing tax preparers could continue to see things properly. It was a wonderful collaboration."

Although there were 14 volunteer tax preparers this year, the number fluctuates from year to year, so Mrs. Bouchard said she is always looking for more people to volunteer their time.