AUBURN GRESHAM — As tax time approaches, a local organization wants to help South Siders eliminate IRS stress.
On Jan. 20, the Center for Economic Progress will open sites in Auburn Gresham, as well as in Bronzeville, Lawndale and a few other communities throughout Chicago. April Friend, senior director of tax services at the center, said that the organization’s mission is to help low-income families who often get taken advantage of during tax season.
“We have found that low-income families are paying substantial fees, sometimes upwards of $250 to $300 to have their tax returns repaired, which is just unacceptable,” Friend said.
At the Auburn Gresham tax site, 7903 S. Racine Ave., people can get help preparing their federal and state tax returns for free. They will also receive counseling on their tax credits and forms. Friend said that many of the volunteers are actually from the community, which creates a stronger level of trust.
“We train anyone who is interested in providing this service on the tax returns most relevant to our clients,” Friend said. “We put them through a certification test from the Internal Revenue Service that basically says we certify that you know enough to do these tax returns."
The Center for Economic Progress is currently seeking volunteers 18 years old and older. No experience is necessary because training is provided and there is always a paid staff member on site to answer questions. Each volunteer must commit to six hours for the online training portion and another three in person, Friend said.
Not everyone wants to assist people with preparing taxes, she said, which is alright because the organization can use help in other ways.
“There are a hundred other ways we can use you, whether it’s helping greet people or helping with filing, there is a lot that happens at the site that isn’t the actual preparation process so there are other options available,” she said.
Volunteers of all ages will be accepted through the end of January. To sign up, visit www.volunteer.economicprogress.org.
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