Resident urges volunteering for P+P

To the editor,

It was a morning in June. I couldn’t have asked for more beautiful weather to kick off my 30th birthday weekend. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and I was… watching a PowerPoint on tax preparation in the basement of an office building.

Why would a person choose to celebrate their 30th birthday at local nonprofit tax clinic Prepare + Prosper? Great question.

In my case, it all comes down to resolutions. I’m a big believer in birthday resolutions, and this year I resolved to do two things: learn a new skill and give my time to an organization I believed in.

That’s how I found myself at an all-day tax preparation training that day in June. I decided to kill two birthday birds with one stone and become a volunteer at Prepare + Prosper (P+P). I’d develop a deeper understanding of the tax code – something I needed after doing my own taxes for years. I’d also be able to help P+P’s clients collect the refunds they’d earned over the past year.

Volunteering at P+P felt great. My favorite moment was always giving the client their estimated refund totals. Tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit mean that low-income, working taxpayers can receive up to 30% of their annual income through their tax refund. This is an amount of money that can make a difference in peoples’ lives, and they shouldn’t have to pay a paid tax preparer to access it.

I’m eager to get back to work at P+P this coming tax season, and I encourage you to do the same!

If you’re worried about all the numbers, don’t sweat it. Not all the volunteer opportunities require tax knowledge. The tax site specialist provides customer support and service for the taxpayers and the financial advocates work one-on-one with customers to discuss their individual financial goals to offer support and access to financial services and referrals. All tax preparers go through training and pass an IRS-certification test.

Prepare + Prosper is looking for 550 volunteers who are passionate about making a difference in their community for the 2017 tax season. If you want to volunteer, they are holding orientations through December. Visit their website at www.prepareandprosper.org or call 651-262-2163.

Dolores Ohmans

Longfellow