AARP’s Busiest Free Tax Preparation Help Site in CT Is at Darien Library — Starts Jan 27

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Tax-Aide AARP Tax Help Tax Preparation Tax Assistance

Image from AARP Foundation website

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IRS-certified volunteer tax aides, trained by the American Association of Retired Persons, will be available Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays from Jan. 27 through April 15  in Darien Library.

Taxpayers of all ages and incomes are invited to make appointments or just walk in. There is no charge for the service. Now’s the time to start gathering the financial documents you’ll need for filing.

When, Where, in Darien and Elsewhere

On Fridays and Saturdays, volunteers are available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Mondays, they’re available from 1 to 8 p.m.

You can also find tax volunteers at Mather Senior Center on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information or to make an appointment, call 203-669-5236.

The AARP has free tax-preparation help sites in nearly all towns in the area, at various times. Most don’t require appointments. (For a full list, see the bottom of this article.)

Busiest

“The library is the busiest AARP tax site in the State of Connecticut,” Colleen Wood, a volunteer coordinator for Darien Library, wrote last May in a statement praising Peter Eder, who supervised the operation. Eder was one of three dozen volunteers who were the subjects of the annual town volunteer recognition luncheon.

Wood said the large size of the program was largely because of the Darien volunteers’ “extreme customer service, led by Peter.”

What to Bring, How It Works

Last January, Darien Library posted this description the AARP tax-aide program and provided suggestions about what you should bring with you when you arrive. (you can see the list of important documents to bring on the AARP’s website, as well — also from January 2019; we haven’t seen an updated version yet):

The nation’s largest, free, volunteer-run tax assistance and preparation service is available to all individual filers regardless of income or age. Started in 1968 and, since 1980, this service has operated under a cooperative agreement with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

If married, both husband and wife should be present. Certain forms and personal and financial documents are required.

Taxpayers must bring:
  • Government Issued Photo ID (such as a driver’s license or passport).
  • Social Security or ITIN numbers for all taxpayers and dependents.
  • Bank account/routing numbers (blank check preferable), if expecting a refund.
  • All 2018 income report forms received
  • SSA1099 if you were paid Social Security benefits.
  • W-2(s) from your employer(s).
  • W-2G from gambling winnings.
  • 1099G from unemployment compensation payments.
  • 1099s: Bank interest, stock dividends, retirement distributions, brokers.
Other Important Documents:
  • Receipts for deductible expenses including real estate and vehicle taxes paid.
  • Verification of the original purchase price of sold assets (home, stocks, etc.).
  • Receipts/canceled checks if itemizing deductions (e.g., charity contributions).
  • Proof of Health Insurance (Form 1095-A from Health Insurance Marketplace or private plan identification).
  • Copy of last year’s Federal and State tax return(s), if possible.

For more information or to make an appointment, please call 203-669-5236.

AARP Foundation’s Description of Its Service

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide offers free tax preparation help to anyone and if you’re 50 and older, and can’t afford a tax preparation service, we were made especially for you.

Tax-Aide AARP Tax Help Tax Preparation Tax AssistanceWe understand that retirement or other life changes may mean your taxes are a little more complicated now. With the help of our team of IRS-certified volunteers we make it easy for you.

Since 1968, the volunteer-based program has helped nearly 50 million low- to moderate-income taxpayers.

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide has more than 5,000 locations in neighborhood libraries, malls, banks, community centers and senior centers. There’s no fee and no sales pitch for other services and AARP membership is not required.

Other Nearby Tax Help Locations

The following images, provided by Darien town government, are from an information card showing where and when you can find volunteer help in the area from AARP or VITA (the IRS’s own Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program — all the volunteers get training provided by the IRS):

Free tax prep ONE AARP Tax-Aide 2020Free tax prep TWO AARP Tax-Aide 2020Free tax prep THREE AARP Tax-Aide 2020Free tax prep ONE AARP Tax-Aide 2020

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