PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — A partnership among the United Way of Aroostook, the County Federal Credit Union, and Aroostook CA$H Coalition is now in its 7th year and expects to help thousands of people through free tax preparation assistance.
Beginning in February, the organizations will offer free tax services at locations in Presque Isle, Houlton and Fort Kent to individuals and families whose household income is less than $54,000 a year. The Aroostook CA$H Coalition Free Tax Assistance Program began after United Way and the CA$H Coalition saw a need to serve folks who live on lower or fixed incomes and might not be able to afford to pay for the services of a private tax preparer.
“Due to the support and sponsorship from the County Federal Credit Union, they’ve provided us with 22 employee volunteers to serve as cash coaches,” said Sherry Locke, executive director of the United Way of Aroostook. “We now have 50 volunteers, from our cash coaches, to our qualified tax preparers to the folks who greet people.”
During each appointment, local tax preparers, who all receive specialized training to become IRS certified, guide people through the process of preparing their tax return based on income information they’ve provided. After their appointment, individuals are given the opportunity to speak to cash coaches about community and financial resources and how to best use their tax refund or savings to prepare for their future.
Locke said that the free tax preparation program has grown to serve over 800 households last year, with 44 percent of those households being senior citizens. In addition, the program has helped gain a total of nearly $800,000 in tax refunds for those households, with most clients also taking advantage of conversations with the cash coaches about their finances.
The program will run from early February to April during tax season and is designed to serve low to middle income residents, with the average income of last year’s clients being $17,032, according to Locke.
“This year we have scheduled over 1,000 appointments and we expect to serve at least 35 clients a day throughout four days every week,” Locke said. “We want to continue providing services to senior citizens, but also encourage young families to take advantage of this opportunity.”
Timothy McMahon, one of the 2019 site coordinators for the free tax program, has volunteered as a tax preparer for the past four years. He has seen firsthand how the services can benefit people who might not have filed taxes in years due to not being able to afford to hire a preparer, confusion over the IRS forms and guidelines, or lack of access to a computer.
“What has kept me coming back is the reactions from the clients. They are always very thankful for the help,” McMahon said. “It’s a huge relief for them to have someone guide them through the process in a comfortable setting.”
The educational aspect through conversations with the cash coaches also is a huge relief to clients, said Dan Bagley, executive vice president of the County Federal Credit Union.
“The credit union’s mission of ‘people helping people’ is one of our cornerstones,” Bagley said. “The program is an opportunity for our staff to help more families address the implications and benefits of filing their taxes.”
Aroostook CA$H Coalition will offer the free tax preparation at the Aroostook Centre Mall in Presque Isle, 2-6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Feb. 5 to April 10; in Houlton at the Higher Education Center, 2-6 p.m. on Thursdays Feb. 7 to April 11; and in Fort Kent at the Northern Maine Medical Center offices at 197 Main Street on select Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 16, March 2, 16 and 30 and April 6 and 13.
For more information or to set up an appointment, contact the United Way of Aroostook office at (207) 764-5197.
