Monica CarusoFor Immediate Release

Watauga County Public Library

828-264-8784, X 4

140 Queen Street

Boone, NC 28607

January 23, 2017

Library, Senior Center Offers Free Tax Assistance for 2017 FilingSeason

The Watauga County Public Library is in its seventh year of offering tax assistancefor the 2017 filing season. The library program began in 2011 with Rao Aluri as the Site Coordinator; Andrew Olson, a graduate student in Accounting at Appalachian State University, will be the new Coordinator. The (VITA) Volunteer for Tax Assistance program provides free income tax preparation and free electronic filing for eligible low to moderate-income Watauga County residents. The program operates in partnership with the Internal Revenue Service and receives financial support from the Friends of the Library and the IRS.

Volunteers are trained to be certified tax preparers through the IRS. Most of the volunteers come from the Accounting Department at Appalachian State University.

Residents are encouraged to file a tax return to claim the tax benefits they earned with the Earned Income Credit and the Child Tax Credit. Millions of workers could overlook and miss out on up to $6,269 extra in their federal income tax refunds through the Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC and as much as $1,000 per qualifying child for the Child Tax Credit or CTC.ASU students and their parents may be eligible for education credits.

The tax preparers will alert you as to whether you are eligible for any of these credits!

The service will operate from February 3rd – April 8th on Fridays from 3 – 6 pm and Saturdays from 9 am – 12 noon, however, there will be no service on Friday, April 14thnor Saturday, April 15th, 2017.

Anyone interested in making an appointment may call the library at 264-8784, X 2 and speak with the Reference Department.

The library is located at 140 Queen Street one block up from the Mast General Store in downtown Boone.

MyFreeTaxes (myfreetaxes.com) is an online partnership between United Way Worldwide, Goodwill Industries International, and the National Disability Institute to provide free federal and state tax preparation and e-filing to taxpayers with an adjusted gross income of $64,000 or less. The programuses tax preparation software donated by H&R Block. Visit United Way or the High Country United Way website at:

The AARP Tax – Aide Program is offering free tax preparation for seniors and low-middle income taxpayers at the Lois Harrill Senior Center, 132 Poplar Grove Connector, Boone on Tuesdays from 9 am – 4 pm, beginning February 7ththrough April 11th. Call 265-8090 for more information and to make an appointment. This service is also offered at the Western Watauga Community Center, 1081 Old US Highway 421 SugarGroveon Mondays from 9 am – 2:30 pm, beginning February 13th and running until April 10th.

Call 297-5195 to make an appointment.

The Ashe County Public Library, 148 Library Drive, West Jefferson, also offers the (VITA) Volunteer for Tax Assistance program on Mondays from 10 am – 3 pm, Tuesdays from 10 am – 5 pm and Saturdays from 9 am -1 pm. To make an appointment it’s 977-5TAX (336.977.5829).