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01/31/05
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Tax Tips and Assistance for Seniors
With the holidays behind us and spring hopefully not far away it's time to turn our thoughts to filing tax returns. There are many programs available to assist those who are eligible and may need a little extra help to complete their tax forms. As a reminder, Pennsylvania tax law requires that every resident, nonresident, part-year resident, or representative of a deceased person file a return if:
- They received total PA gross taxable income in excess of $35 during the tax year 2004, even if no tax is due with your PA return; and/or
- They incurred a loss from any transaction as an individual, sole proprietor, partner in a partnership, PA S corporation shareholder, or association member.
Pennsylvania tax forms are available in all of my district offices. Many local libraries make state and federal forms available as well and all forms can be downloaded from the Internet. To download federal tax return forms visit www.irs.gov and for state tax forms www.revenue.state.pa.us.
Information on some of the programs available to assist you with your taxes includes:
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA)
The VITA Program offers free tax help to low- to moderate-income ($36,000 and below) people who cannot prepare their own tax returns. Volunteers sponsored by various organizations receive training to help prepare basic tax returns in communities across the country. VITA sites are generally located at community and neighborhood centers, libraries, schools, shopping malls, and other convenient locations. Most locations also offer free electronic filing. To locate the nearest VITA site, call 1-800-829-1040.
Tax Counseling for the Elderly
The Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) Program provides free tax help to people age 60 and older. Trained volunteers from non-profit organizations provide free tax counseling and basic income tax return preparation for senior citizens. Volunteers who provide tax counseling are often retired individuals associated with non-profit organizations that receive grants from the IRS.
As part of the IRS-sponsored TCE Program, AARP offers the Tax-Aide Counseling Program at more than 9,000 sites nationwide during the filing season. Trained and certified AARP Tax-Aide volunteer counselors help people of low-to-middle income with special attention to those age 60 and older. For more information on TCE call 1-800-829-1040. To locate the nearest AARP Tax-Aide site, call 1-888-227-7669 or visit www.aarp.org/money/taxaide/taxcounseling.As always, if you have any questions or should require assistance, please feel free to email Senator Pippy or contact his office.
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