Free, Volunteer Tax Assistance Program Begins January 24th
From the Town of Westport Department of Human Services: The Department of Human Services has announced that it is once again offering the no cost, full-service AARP/VITA/IRS Volunteer Tax Assistance Program, with special attention to seniors and low to moderate income households, via on-site personal counseling by appointment at Town Hall or Westport’s Center for Senior Activities or virtually through a secure internet site.
On-site counseling at Town Hall will be available on Mondays from 1-7pm and at Westport’s Center for Senior Activities on Wednesdays from 9am- 4pm and Thursdays 12:30 pm – 4:30 pm starting January 24, 2022 and ending April 15, 2022. Appointments are required and can be made by calling 860-590-8910. The virtual option can be accessed via https://simplifyct.org .
The free Tax Assistance Program is the nation’s largest, free volunteer-run tax assistance and preparation service and is available to all individual filers regardless of income or age. During the last full tax season across the nation some 65,000 IRS-certified volunteers provided this service at more than 9,000 sites. Some three and a half million taxpayer returns were prepared and filed via this service throughout the country. In Connecticut about 52,000 federal returns were processed, in addition to an equal number of State returns and many amended filings from prior years.
More than 5,000 of these returns were prepared and filed – almost all electronically - by the counselor group that services the Town of Westport. Federal refunds totaling $4,500,000 were received by these clients, more than 80% of which were from tax credits such as for education and earned income.
Before starting either the on-site or virtual filings taxpayers must have the following types of information available:
Identity Documentation
Government Issued Photo ID.
Social Security or ITIN numbers for all taxpayers and dependents.
Bank account/routing numbers (blank check preferable), if expecting a refund.
All 2021 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, broker statements.
Other Important Documents
If itemizing deductions, receipts for expenses such as taxes paid (real estate, vehicle) and charitable contributions; and verification of the original purchase price of sold assets (home, stocks).
Form 1095-A if health insurance was from the Access Health Connecticut Marketplace.
Verification if applicable, including notices from the IRS, of stimulus payments and/or advanced Child Tax Credits received.
And preferably, for Reference, A Copy of last year’s (TY 2020) Return
Many of the same IRS-Certified volunteers who have been serving the Town of Westport’s sties for years will be available to prepare taxpayer returns; Westport Human Services and the Center for Senior Activities are pleased to again partner with these IRS-certified preparers to offer this valuable service to the community.