Alaska News

Free tax help available for taxpayers

ANCHORAGE, AK -- The Tax-Aide program is designed to prepare basic tax returns for most low and middle income taxpayers, with an emphasis on senior citizens and disabled taxpayers. Sites are staffed by volunteers trained by the Internal Revenue Service to prepare basic tax returns. By using AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, these taxpayers also avoided tax preparation fees and pitches for high-interest tax credit or refund loans. And the service is free.

Below are the dates and hours for the 35 sites throughout Alaska. Individuals may also find a nearby Tax Aide site by visiting www.aarp.org/taxaide or calling 1-888-227-7669.

For additional information on "self-assisted" sites in Anchorage and in the Kenai area as well as "Super Saturday" sites in Anchorage, individuals can call the Alaska 211 referral line by dialing 2-1-1 or toll free 1-800-478-2221.

On page 4 is a list of what individuals should bring.

ANCHORAGE AREA (10 sites)

Anchorage Senior Activities Center

1300 East 19th Avenue

ADVERTISEMENT

Mondays and Thursdays 9 am - 3 pm (starting 2/4)

Closed Feb 18

NE Muldoon Community Center (north end)

1251 Muldoon Road

Saturdays 12 - 4 pm Thai speaker available (starts 2/2) Tuesdays and Thursdays 1 - 7 pm

First Free Methodist Church

4607 East 6th Avenue

Tuesdays 6 - 8 pm (starting 2/5)

Spanish speaker available

Spenard Rec Center

2020 West 48th Avenue

Tuesdays 1 - 6 pm (starting 2/5)

Crosspoint Community Church

1920 Dimond (next to Jo-Ann Fabrics)

Tuesdays 1 - 6 pm (starting 2/5) and

Sat., Apr 6, 10 am – 4 pm

Credit Union 1

ADVERTISEMENT

115 North Bragaw Street

Wednesdays and Fridays 11 am – 3 pm

AARP Alaska State Office

Frontier Building

3601 C Street, Conf Rm 1404

Wednesdays 1 pm to 6 pm (starting 2/6)

University of Alaska Anchorage

Rasmuson Hall (BEB) Room 207A

ADVERTISEMENT

Thursdays 1:30 – 7 pm (starting 2/14; closed 3/14)

Public must pay for parking on campus

Salvation Army Community Center

1701 C Street

Feb 16 ONLY 10 am – 4 pm

University Center

3901 Old Seward Highway (South end)

Apr 15 ONLY 12 noon – 10 pm

EAGLE RIVER/CHUGIAK (3 sites)

Eagle River Presbyterian Church

12836 Old Glenn Highway

Feb 2 & Feb 9 ONLY 1 – 4 pm

ADVERTISEMENT

Eagle River Job Center

11723 Old Glenn Highway

Wed., Feb 6-27 and Wed., Apr 3-15 ONLY

11 am – 3 pm

Chugiak Senior Center

22424 N. Birchwood Loop Road

ADVERTISEMENT

Feb 4, Feb 18, Mar 4, Mar 18 & Apr 1 ONLY

11 am – 2 pm

FAIRBANKS (3 sites)

Fairbanks Senior Center

1424 Moore Street

Thursdays 9 am - 2 pm (starting 2/7)

By appointment only; call 452-1735

Noel Wien Library

1215 Cowles Street

Saturdays 12 noon - 3 pm (starting 2/9)

Tuesdays 4 - 7 pm (starting 2/12)

No appointment necessary

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Bunnell Building Lobby

Feb 2, Feb 9, Mar 23, Mar 30, Apr 6 & Apr 13

10 am – 2 pm

Free self-assisted tax preparation available at this same location

HOMER (1 site)

Homer Senior Center

3935 Svedlund Street

Mondays and Tuesdays 10 am - 2 pm (starting 2/4)

By appointment only; call 235-7655

JUNEAU (3 sites)

Mendenhall Public Library

9105 Mendenhall Mall Road

Saturdays 12:30 – 4 pm (starting 2/9)

No appointment necessary

Shut-ins call 789-1821 for an appointment

Juneau Senior Center

895 West 12th Street

Fridays 8 – 11 am (starting 2/8)

By appointment only; call 789-1821

Gruening Park & Recreation Center

1800 Northwood Drive

Thursdays 4:30 -7 pm (starting 2/7)

KETCHIKAN AREA (3 sites)

Ketchikan Public Library

1110 Copper Ridge Lane, Ketchikan

Saturdays 10 am – 2 pm (starting 2/9)

No appointment necessary

Tongass Federal Credit Union

910 Milton Street, Metlakatla

By appointment only; call 886-5975

MAT-SU VALLEY (6 sites)

Mat-Su Senior Services

1132 S. Chugach St., Palmer

Thursdays 10 am – 4 pm (starting 2/7)

Call 745-5454 for appointment; walk-ins also welcome.

Mid-Valley Senior Center

11975 West Mid Valley Way; turn at Mile 53 Parks

Feb 5, Feb 26, Mar 19 and Apr 2 ONLY

10 am – 3 pm

Call 892-6114 after 10:30 am for appointment; walk-ins also welcome.

Wasilla Senior Center

1301 Century Circle

Mondays 10 am – 3:30 pm (starting 2/4)

Call 376-3104 for appointment; walk-ins also welcome.

Closed Feb 18 and March 25

Trapper Creek Community Center

Near Mile 115.4 Parks Highway

Feb 12 and March 5 ONLY

10 am – 4 pm

Call 746-6113 for appointment; walk-ins also welcome.

Upper Su Senior Center

16463 E Helena, Sunshine-Talkeetna

Feb 19, Mar 12, Mar 26 and Apr 9 ONLY

10 am – 4 pm

Call 746-6113 for appointment; walk-ins also welcome

Mat-Su Evangelical Church

5201 East Mayflower Lane, Wasilla

Saturdays 10 am – 4 pm (starting 2/2)

Call 746-6113 for appointment; walk-ins also welcome.

Closed Feb 16 and Mar 30

SEWARD (1 site)

Seward Senior Center

336 3rd

Mondays and Wednesdays 8 - 10 am and 2 - 4 pm (starting 2/4)

Tuesdays 6:30 – 8:30 pm (starting 2/5)

Call 224-5604 for appointment; walk-ins also welcome.

SITKA (3 sites)

University of Alaska Southeast

1332 Seward Ave., Room 226

Wednesdays 5 - 9 pm (starting 2/6)

No appointment necessary

Swan Lake Senior Center

402 Lake Street

Wednesdays 12 noon – 4:30 pm (starting 2/6)

By appointment only; call Anna or Jane at

747-8617

U.S. Coast Guard Air Station MILITARY ONLY

611 Airport Road

Tuesdays 10 am – 2 pm (starting 2/5)

Thursdays 12:15 – 3 pm (starting 2/7)

Call 966-5434

STERLING (1 site)

Sterling Senior Center

34453 Sterling Highway

Saturdays 10 am – 2 pm (starting 2/16)

For appointment, call 262-6808. Walk-ins also welcome.

Closed Feb 23

VALDEZ (1 site)

Prince William Sound Community College

303 Lowe Street

Fridays 1 – 5 pm (starting 2/16)

By appointment only; call 835-5914

WRANGELL (1 site)

Nolan Center

1096 Outer Drive

Fridays 9 am – 1 pm (starting 2/8)

No appointment necessary

As a taxpayer, you should bring the following documents with you:

Government issued identification.

Last year's tax return.

Social Security cards or other official documentation for yourself and all dependents

Checkbook or pre-printed deposit information showing routing number and account number if you want to do a direct deposit of any refund(s).

Income

W-2 from each employer.

Unemployment compensation statements.

SSA-1099 form showing the total Social Security benefits paid to you for the year, or Form RRB-1099, Tier 1 Railroad Retirement benefits.

1099 forms reporting interest (1099-INT), dividends (1099-DIV), proceeds from sales (1099-B), as well as documentation showing the original purchase price of your sold assets.

1099-R form if you received a pension or annuity, especially if you had a portion withheld for income tax purposes.

1099-MISC form showing any miscellaneous income.

Payments
Bring all forms and canceled checks indicating federal tax paid (including quarterly estimated tax payments).

Deductions
Most taxpayers have a choice of taking either a standard deduction or itemizing their deductions. If you have a substantial amount of deductions, you may want to itemize. You will need to bring the following information:

1098 form showing any home mortgage interest.

Receipts or canceled checks for medical/dental expenses (including doctor and hospital bills and medical insurance premiums), receipts for prescription medicines, costs of assisted living services and bills for home improvements, such as ramps and railings for people with disabilities.

Receipts for contributions to charity.

Receipts or canceled checks for all tax income and property taxes you paid, as well as records of tax refunds.

Credits

Dependent care provider information (name, employer ID or Social Security number).

Receipts, canceled checks or 1099 forms related to continuing education.

AARP press release

ADVERTISEMENT