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
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
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
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
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
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
Alaska Dispatch Publishing