ARP Foundation Tax-Aide Provides Free Tax Assistance and Preparation

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 14, 2016 – This year, AARP Foundation is again providing free tax assistance and preparation for taxpayers with low- to moderate- income through the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, in its 48th year, is the nation’slargest free tax assistance and preparation service, giving special attention to the older population.  Taxpayers do not need to be a member of AARP or a retiree to use this service.

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide has more than 5,000 locations in neighborhood libraries, malls, banks, community centers and senior centers. There’s no fee and no sales pitch for other services and AARP membership is not required. Some locations offer assistance in additional languages, including Chinese, Tagalog, Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese.

“Our bilingual volunteers generously give their time to help taxpayers who don’t speak English or speak English as a second language prepare their returns,” said Daphne Kwok, AARP Vice President of Multicultural Leadership, Asian American and Pacific Islander Audience Strategy. “We need more bilingual volunteers so if you can help translate, please join our Tax-Aide volunteer team so that we can expand our services to Asian American & Pacific Islander communities.”

In 2015, AARP Foundation Tax-Aide’s 35,000 volunteers have provided 2.6 million people with free tax help. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteers are trained and IRS-certified each year to ensure their knowledge of revisions to the U.S. tax code. Taxpayers who used AARP Foundation Tax-Aide received $1.3 billion in income tax refunds and more than $250 million in Earned Income Tax Credits (EITCs).

For more information on documents to bring to the tax site or to locate an AARP Foundation Tax-Aide site, visit www.aarp.org/findtaxhelp or call 1-888-AARPNOW (1-888-227-7669). AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is offered in conjunction with the IRS.

AARP Foundation is working to win back opportunity for struggling Americans 50+ by being a force for change on the most serious issues they face today: housing, hunger, income and isolation. By coordinating responses to these issues on all four fronts at once, and supporting them with vigorous legal advocacy, the Foundation serves the unique needs of those 50+ while working with local organizations nationwide to reach more people and make resources go further. AARP Foundation is a charitable affiliate of AARP. Learn more at www.aarpfoundation.org.