April 15—also known as Tax Day—will be here soon. We’ve worked with AARP Foundation tax-aide volunteers for more than 15 years to connect Alaskans with free tax filing help, and these volunteers are in high demand. Appointments with them can still be scheduled in 2025, or community members can stop by places with walk-in clinics. Do you want to schedule a tax filing appointment or go to a walk-in clinic? Contact Alaska 211.
The Anchorage Senior Center is one of many locations that hosts free, walk-in clinics with tax-aide volunteers. These clinics occur on Mondays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., running from early February until Tax Day. Most Alaskans qualify to receive free tax preparation and are welcome to attend the Monday clinics. Do I qualify for help?
One volunteer, Roger, helps run the clinics and works alongside other volunteers to assist people with their preparations and filings. Roger’s been a certified tax-aide volunteer for 10 years. He knows the rules and regulations well for the returns he does.
“A lot of people come in not knowing whether they’re going to get a refund or owe something,” he says. Roger’s speech is steady and precise. It’s easy to imagine him being a tax economist before retiring. “If anything’s due, we can help them set up installment plans.”
Free tax preparation appointments and walk-in clinics save Alaskans money, which strengthens their financial stability. For years, we’ve connected people with free tax preparation opportunities. They trust that they’re submitting accurate filings while also keeping money in their pockets, be it from receiving free assistance or better refunds.
On a recent Monday, Roger sat at a table beside Dean, another tax-aide volunteer. They were at the Anchorage Senior Center with eight volunteers. Like Roger, Dean has a background in finance-related matters. He was a CPA before he retired and served on our Board in the 90s.
“I enjoy doing taxes,” says Dean. He laughs—probably knowing his statement runs counter to most people’s view on filing taxes. “Part of what I like about it is that it’s fun talking with people about what brought them to Alaska and what they’ve done here.”
A community member that Dean helped this year is Lani. “It’s my second time getting my taxes done here,” she says. “It took about 15 minutes and was very thorough.” Lani notes Dean gave her return to Roger to double-check it. “United Way keeps showing up in my life, but I don’t go looking for it,” says Lani. “United Way really watches out for us.”
In the Anchorage area, there are currently 55 tax-aide volunteers certified to assist with tax preparation and filings. For more information about free tax return assistance, call 2-1-1.
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