January 27, 2016
Page 9
Mississippi
Alberta
North Portland
Vancouver
East County
Beaverton
PhOTO COurTesy C iTy Of b eaverTOn
An IRS-certiied volunteer with AARP Tax-Aide and CASH Oregon in Beaverton helps a woman ile her tax return. Free tax help sites are available for low and middle
income families through April 16.
IRS-certiied
volunteers help
low income
IRS-certiied volunteers are avail-
able again this year to help low and
middle income families ile tax returns
and get the refunds they deserve.
In partnership with CASH Oregon
and AARP Tax-Aide, the volunteers use
free tax preparation programs to help
residents, especially families qualifying
for the Earned Income Tax Credit. Eli-
gible low-income working families may
be entitled to up to $6,242 in tax refunds
with the Earned Income Tax Credit, but
the IRS reports that one in ive workers
fail to claim the credits they earned.
Tax Help
Available
Last year, volunteers in Oregon iled
2,077 tax returns, resulting in more than
$2.4 million in tax refunds back into the
community. More 425 local taxpayers
were able to receive their earned cred-
its through Beaverton’s tax assistance
program, which meant additional mon-
ey back that they can use for groceries,
rent, and other bills.
CASH Oregon and AARP has sched-
uled dozens of locations across the
Portland metro area where the tax help
program is available until April 16, the
deadline to ile taxes this year. The sites
include Beaverton, Concordia Univer-
sity, the Multicultural Senior Center
on Northeast Martin Luther King Jr.
Boulevard, the NAYA Family Center in
northeast Portland, the North Portland
Library, the Dishman Community Cen-
ter, Peace Lutheran Church of Portland,
the Hollywood Senior Center, the Lloyd
Center, The Salvation Army Rose Cen-
ter, Reach Community Development,
the New Columbia Opportunity Center,
among scores of others.
Those looking for an appointment or
a location near them can call 211 or visit
CashOregon.org.
When residents come in for tax il-
ing assistance, they are urged to bring
picture identiication, a copy of their
2014 tax return, if available, their social
security number or individual taxpay-
er identiication number, their W-2 or
other employer-given forms, including
1099s, child and dependent care infor-
mation, and health insurance documen-
tation.