Mid-Shore AARP Tax-Aide Suspends In-Person Tax Preparation
The Mid-Shore branch of the AARP Tax-Aide program, which provides free federal and State tax-preparation services to taxpayers in Kent, Queen Anne’s, Talbot, and Caroline Counties, announced today that it is suspending in-person tax services for the 2020 tax season, which begins on February 1.
“We are greatly saddened to take this step,” said District Coordinator Jeff Haertlein of Easton. “We know how much taxpayers on the Shore have come to rely on our services; but the current state of the Covid-19 pandemic simply will not allow us to open our tax preparation sites safely for our clients and our volunteers.”
“We wanted to make this announcement early enough that taxpayers can find other means of preparing their taxes,” Haertlein said. “AARP is still committed to providing tax-preparation assistance, but that aid will have to be on-line and virtual.”
Haertlein explained that there will be two forms of assistance available through the AARP website, www.aarp.org. Both methods will be free to the taxpayer and will be available beginning in early February.
Contactless: Taxpayers interact with Tax-Aide’s IRS-certified tax counselors online or by
phone and exchange documents electronically.
Self-preparation: Tax-Aide provides taxpayers with free access to software so they can
prepare their own taxes. Taxpayers can also request help from an IRS-certified
counselor to coach them through the process by phone or through computer screen-
sharing.
As to the future, Haertlein said that if conditions permit a return to in-person tax preparation this year, his organization will announce how and where assistance will be available. “And we certainly hope to be back in full swing a year from now for the 2021 tax season.”