Tax season gets moving today with the first evening of free tax preparation at the Community Action Duluth office. Other sites throughout the area, operated by AARP and University of Minnesota Duluth students, will open this week and next.
In general, the sites are staffed by volunteers and will operate until the end of tax season.
Community Action will host two sites this year through April 12 at:
* The organization's office at19 N. 21st Ave. W. It will be open for walk-ins only every Tuesday at5 p.m. and every Saturday at 9 a.m.
* Community Action's Memorial Park site, 5315 Grand Ave. It will be open at3 p.m. Wednesdays for people with dependent children. Appointments are available there two weeks in advance. Call 726-1665.
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Families and single people with incomes of less than $39,000 are eligible for the free tax preparation and e-filing. Those who have no bank account for a direct deposit refund can open one with Northern Communities Credit Union at both sites.
Help with the Earned Income Tax Credit also is available from Community Action's trained volunteers for people who meet income guidelines.
AARP Tax-Aide sites will offer free help with basic tax returns, renter and homeowner refunds. Sites offer help to walk-ins unless otherwise noted. They will operate from Friday through April 15 at these sites:
* AEOA, 5028 Miller Trunk Highway, 9 a.m. to noon Tuesdays by appointment only. Call729-5509.
* CHUM Drop-in Center,125 N. First Ave. W., by appointment only. Call 720-6521.
* Cloquet Public Library,320 14th St., Cloquet, 9 a.m. to1 p.m. Tuesday.
* Lighthouse for the Blind, 4505 W. Superior St., by appointment only. Call 624-4828.
* Lincoln Park Center, 2014 W. Third St., 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. By appointment only. Call 722-4107.
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* Duluth Lakeshore, 4002 London Road, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday.
* Proctor Area Community Center, 100 Pionk Drive, Proctor, 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday.
* Rainbow Senior Center,211 N. Third Ave. E., 9 a.m. to1 p.m., Wednesday through Friday.
* West Duluth American Legion, 5814 Grand Ave.,11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday.
Homebound taxpayers cancall the Senior Linkage Line,(800) 333-2433, or Ken Oliver,727-3844, for a referral to counselors for shut-ins.
UMD students, most of them majoring in accounting, also will offer free tax assistance to people whose gross income is less than $40,000 per year, whether single or filing jointly. The 50 students involved are juniors and seniors who have received 15 hours of training and are supervised in preparing the returns.
Two UMD sites open to the public will begin operations Saturday, Feb. 9.
* At the Duluth Public Library, 520 W. Superior St., help will be available from 2-8 p.m. Mondays, 5-8 p.m. Tuesdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.
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* At UMD's Kirby Student Center, Room 311, volunteers income tax help will be available from 2-8 p.m. Tuesdays and10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.
Randy Skalberg, assistant professor of accounting, suggested bringing these items to the tax sites: last year's income tax returns; forms W2 and 1099; dividend statements; Social Security statements; pension statements; and a 2007 property tax bill or certificate of rent paid.
