The Best Things in Life are Free (Plus Tax)

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“Like mothers, taxes are often misunderstood, but seldom forgotten.”

Lord Bramwell’s words, forged in England over 130 years ago, have found a second home – or at least an April timeshare – west of the Atlantic.

Not many things in our society are as complex as the U.S. Tax Code. The official code carries more than 3.8 million words, carefully organized over 6,000 or so pages by generations of politicians and pencil pushers.

So it shouldn’t be a surprise to hear that a lot of people have a hard time understanding and correctly filing out their tax returns.

Fortunately, if you’re a senior, there are a couple of excellent, and free, programs available that will help you with your tax troubles. (Unfortunately, even if you’re a senior, there aren’t any programs that will help you with your mother troubles.)

If you’re over 60, you will likely be eligible for the Tax Counseling for Elderly (TCE) program. TCE can help with questions dealing with pensions and retirement-related issues, and the people that help you are IRS-certified.

Another free tax program that could be beneficial is the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), which offers help to the elderly – but also to people with disabilities, or limited English-speaking skills, or if they have an income less than $53,000. The volunteers that work with VITA as also IRS-certified.

For more information about either of these programs please check out this IRS website, or you can just call 800-906-9887 to find a TCE or VITA location near you.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed in a world as complex as ours, but it should be comforting to know that there are people and places that provide help, guidance, and care coordinated to your preferred level of need.