BROWNSBURG — It is a little later than usual, but tax season is now underway. Starting Friday, the International Revenue Service is now accepting and processing 2020 tax year returns.
For many Hoosiers, filing may look a little different this year due to to the pandemic. Filing taxes can be overwhelming and costly as well depending on where you go.
“They charge a fortune and it's going up every year,” said Leatha Owen, a Marion County resident about a company she has used in the past for tax preparation.
This year she came to the Family Promise Brownsburg Resource Center for free tax preparation services.
"Everybody's got hardships going on and I think it's just wonderful that they do this,” Owen said.
This service is part of a partnership with the United Way of Central Indiana and the IRS. It is designed to help low-to-moderate-income families file for free. Trained and certified volunteers help provide basic income tax return preparation.
“I am a retired schoolteacher," Janet McQueen, a volunteer at the site, said. "I taught math at the high school level and then when I retired from teaching I decided to do taxes because I like to work with numbers and I like to work with people, so it was a good combination."
“I think COVID-19 threw a wrench in things and I think things are a bit more complicated this year," said Rochelle Perkins, site coordinator at the Family Promise Brownsburg Resource Center. "Even this year on our program side of it we have volunteers preparing virtually as well, but I think that with all the different changes and economic impact payment people have a lot more questions this year and hopefully we are helping them straighten all that out.”
Those working the site say it is a rewarding effort.
“It means a lot to them," McQueen said. "They are always so appreciative of what we do for them and most of them can't afford to go to a pay-prepare to have their taxes done and they don't have to pay us anything and they just are so relieved their that their taxes are done and it didn't cost anything."
In order to qualify for free tax preparation services you must have a combined household income of $66,000 or less.
For more information on where you can find tax preparation services, click here.
