Volunteer finds niche in tax prep assistance

Tax season is in full swing and Joann Tharp of Plymouth is ready to assist you.

Every Tuesday, from now until April 10, Tharp will be at the Beatrice Public Library to provide free tax counseling and preparation assistance to low- to middle-income people.

While some people may find filing their taxes to be work, Tharp enjoys it.

“I found my niche with taxes,” Tharp said.

So for the next seven weeks, Tharp, Marla Weichel of Diller and Jean Thomas of Beatrice will donate their time and energies from 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. every Tuesday at the Beatrice Public Library to help people with filing their taxes through the AARP Tax-Aide program.

For the past 20 years, Tharp has been volunteering with the Internal Revenue Service and AARP programs, assisting people with their yearly tax preparation.

“It's the people who come back,” Tharp said. “I'm appreciated.”

Tharp became involved when she was forced to take over the accounting of the family business and see that the taxes were filed the year her mother died and their accountant took ill. At the time, she worked at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and she made trips to the federal building in Lincoln for assistance on her taxes.

Through their help and encouragement, she got her taxes done and they convinced her to begin volunteering with the IRS's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, a program that assists low- to middle-income people with filing their taxes.

For the past few years, Tharp has been working with the AARP Tax-Aide service, an affiliate of the IRS' VITA program, not only as a tax preparer but also providing tax counseling for the elderly seeking long-term financial assistance.

All Tax-Aide volunteers have to go through testing to become certified and each year they have to re-certify and continue to be updated and educated on the current changes.

One of the changes they learned about this year, Tharp said, was the Telephone Excise Tax Refund. TETR is a one-time payment available on the 2006 income tax return. It is designed to refund previously collected long distance telephone taxes.

The AARP service is open to anyone, with special attention to those low- to middle income and 60 years and older, Tharp said.

As the April 17 tax deadline nears, Tharp, Weichel and Thomas have already seen and helped a number of people in the area with their tax preparation.

The last couple of years, Tharp said she has seen an increase in the number of people they serve. This past Tuesday, people were already lined up when she arrived.

“I never had mobs like this,” Tharp said. “I never had people standing up to 10 in a row.”

But whatever the number, Tharp said she is willing to answer any questions or assist anyone with filing their taxes.

“We don't turn anyone away,” Tharp said.

Last year, Nebraska AARP Tax-Aide volunteers helped prepare more than 6,000 federal returns and 5,000 state returns, including returns for more than 200 shut-ins.

In Beatrice, Tharp, who is the local area coordinator for the Tax-Aide program, expects about 100 people to get free assistance.

With the increase of people using the services they provide, Tharp said they are always on the lookout for volunteers for the program and anyone interested can contact Tharp or AARP, she said.

“We always need volunteers,” Tharp said.