AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons) is offering free income-tax preparation assistance to residents of Andover, and free electronic filing, with a special focus on taxpayers who are 50 or older or who have low to moderate income. AARP Tax-Aide is the nation’s largest free, volunteer-run tax-preparation service, and it operates across the country.

Volunteers trained by the Internal Revenue Service will be available at the Andover Community Hub on Wednesdays from the first week of February through April 14, by appointment. To participate, residents are asked to call 802-332-5065 to set up an appointment, to learn what documents and information they need to have available, or if they have questions as to their eligibility.

Volunteer Jeff North explained: “We will do any return that is not too complex.  Businesses with employees are beyond our scope. I’m glad to answer questions from anyone who is unsure of their tax return complexity and whether or not we can help them.” 

The Hub is located at 157 Main Street, and the service will be offered this year with pandemic-related guidelines in place.  When arriving for an appointment, residents will be asked to remain in their cars, to bring a cell phone if possible, and to have a mask available.  A volunteer will meet them outside, interview them, and take their documents inside for preparation.  Additional questions can be asked via cell phone or by the volunteer coming back outside. 

This is the first year this service is available at the Hub; in previous years, residents have met with Tax-Aide volunteers at the Andover branch of Bar Harbor Bank and Trust. For more information about TaxAide and what kinds of returns can and cannot be prepared, visit AARP.org/money/taxes/aarp_taxaide/.