Need tax help? AARP is here

AARP tax assistance isn't just for the older set.

"They see the AARP and they think it's just for seniors," said Leo Lundergan, coordinator of AARP volunteers at the SunTrust Bank in Englewood. "People who can't afford to get their taxes elsewhere can get them done here."

AARP volunteers are on hand at SunTrust Bank, 333 S. Indiana Ave., from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays through April 13.

In some cases, it's not necessary for people to file some income tax forms, said Bob Galloway, an AARP volunteer tax aide at the Sun Trust Bank.

"Basically most of the people that come in here from Englewood are over 65," Galloway said. "We don't even see any W-2s."

But he said the free assistance program is open to anyone, including people who are married and are eligible for child tax credits or even people who have a small business on the side.

"A lot of people think you can only get back what you pay in," Galloway said.

Galloway said people are under the assumption that AARP only helps seniors file taxes. But since taking over the IRS volunteer income tax assistance program, AARP Tax Aide sites are open to all ages.

In fact, a lot of seniors don't understand they don't have to file taxes at all.

"They tell us to encourage people (not to file if it's not necessary). They don't want your paper," Galloway said. "People come in, they don't realize they don't even have to file. Social Security doesn't count as income.

"Unless your income is over $18,400 without Social Security, you don't have to file," he said.

Galloway said the $18,400 is an automatic deduction seniors are entitled to.

Galloway advised that anyone who wants the service should show up early. Help is done on a first-come, first-served basis.

"We usually get a rush," he said. "The earlier the better."

There are other sites throughout Charlotte and Sarasota counties if evening and Saturday hours are more convenient.

Other sites

The AARP Web site offers a list of places and hours where tax help is available. The site is www.aarp.org. Click on "Money and Work" near the top of the display and then "Tax-Aide" on the left of the screen.

For Sarasota County sites, call (941) 861-5000 or visit www.scgov.net.

Another site in Charlotte County is at the Punta Gorda Library, 424 W. Henry St. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays. No appointments are required.

The Port Charlotte Cultural Center, 2280 Aaron St., Port Charlotte, offers assistance from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and Saturdays. The service is also open 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays. You must make an appointment at the center in person. No phone appointments will be accepted.

What are people saying about mortgages today:

Rates on 30-year mortgages edged down last week to a seven-month low. Mortgage-giant Freddie Mac reported Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages fell to 6.3 percent, down slightly from 6.31 percent two weeks ago. It put rates at the lowest level since they were at 6.24 percent the first week of March.

Bank of Hawaii, Central Pacific Bank, Territorial Savings Bank and Wells Fargo Home Mortgages all cut their 30-year mortgage rates to 5.75 percent this week.

Most people think of a mortgage as a means to an end. After all, you buy a house, not a home loan. But a mortgage is much more than the path to homeownership. It is a financial instrument that must be managed, just like any other financial investment.