With little more than a month until Uncle Sam slams the tax books shut, volunteers with the AARP Tax Aide program are kicking their efforts into high gear in hopes of helping area residents beat the April 15 deadline.

Already in their second month of tax form preparations, AARP spokeswoman and program coordinator Gloria Hopkins said the volunteers are working hard to make the annual program a success.

“I just can’t say enough about the men and women who volunteer each year,” said Hopkins. “This year’s volunteers are terrific. At the beginning of the season we were really worried about whether we would have enough volunteers and equipment, but they have come through in fine fashion.”

The program — which is normally based out of the Spring City Senior Citizens Center but was moved to the library due to construction schedules — will continue throughout the tax season, according to Hopkins.

“We began doing taxes at the library the first part of February, and we’ll continuing each Monday from 8 a.m. until noon each Monday through the April tax deadline,” she said. “For those that are homebound and can’t get to the center with their tax information, if they will call us, we’ll be happy to pick up the information and get the taxes ready.

“People need to be sure to bring all of the pertinent information with them, including a tax booklet if one was received through the mail, W-2 forms and 1099 forms. They also need to bring any forms that show their 2007 earnings and their 2006 tax returns. We also need a social security card for every person named on the return and a photo ID for the person filing.”

According to Hopkins, the programmed is aimed to serve area residents without the means to file a tax return.

“The AARP program provides free federal tax preparation assistance to people who cannot afford professional tax help, such as seniors, people with disabilities, those that don’t speak English and people with low-to-moderate income,” she said. “AARP volunteers explain many special tax credits and deductions and how people may claim them on their tax returns. These volunteers help people complete their returns, right down to any refunds that may be due them.”

For more information on the program and volunteering, contact Hopkins at 267-6733.

Contact Staff Writer Thomas Jenkins at 263-7331 ext. 232 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it