As we inch closer to the April 15 tax deadline, AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide is among the programs aimed at helping the military community and others file their state and federal tax returns. Tax-Aide is free and available (appointment only) to all Veterans, military personnel and their families regardless of age or whether they are AARP members.
“In this new environment of COVID, Tax-Aide has instituted a range of tax preparation assistance models that can help Veterans, those currently in the military and others,” said Lynnette Lee-Villanueva, vice president and national director of AARP Foundation Tax-Aide. “From safely delivered in-person service, virtual assistance and hybrid options – we are here to help.”
The nationwide tax help program is geared toward people 50 and older or those who have low to moderate incomes, but Tax-Aide is open to anyone free of charge. AARP membership isn’t required to take advantage of Tax-Aide’s knowledgeable volunteers, nor will there be any sales pitch for other services.
If you’d like to look for an appointment to receive tax filing assistance from AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide, click here to get started.
Due to the pandemic, Tax-Aide availability is limited this year. Other programs offering free tax help include Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE), Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), IRS Free File and MilTax.
In addition, here is some helpful information specifically for military Veterans from CPA and tax expert Lisa Greene-Lewis of TurboTax. See the rest of her tax advice for military Veterans on aarp.org here.
VA payments exempt from federal taxes:
- VA education benefit payments.
- VA disability payments.
- Interest from VA life insurance policies.
- Benefits under a dependent-care assistance program.
- Money paid to a survivor of a member of the armed forces who died after Sept. 10, 2001.
- Payments made under the compensated work therapy program.
- Any bonus pay from a state, county, city or town because of service in a combat zone.
Fast facts on state taxes:
- States typically offer tax benefits only to Veterans who were honorably discharged or released under honorable circumstances from active duty.
- State benefits usually include some form of exemptions on property taxes, according to value.
- Benefits are often transferred over to a spouse or surviving spouse of honorably discharged Veterans.
- Many states include additional benefits for Veterans who are disabled.
- Every state’s revenue website outlines state benefits for Veterans and how to apply for them.
Bookmark the Veterans, Military and Their Families page on aarp.org to stay up to date with the latest news and information affecting older Veterans at aarp.org/veterans. AARP resources for Veterans are free and available to nonmembers.
Aaron Kassraie is an associate writer and editor for AARP.
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I have registered on the AARP site 3 times now and have not received any calls. Been waiting over a month.
Tax Help needed. Simple do not make enough to tax, yet need to file. North Carolina
Do I need to be a member or AARP to get help with my taxes?
who or where do i go to become an AARP tax server? I have 30 years as a tax service and want to help.
Need help with my taxes here in New Mexico.
I am an AIR FORCE retiree with a disability and would like help with my Tax Return..
I have collected all necessary paper work and ready for filing.
Thanks,
Fidel Garcia, Jr
Yeah it’s free, paid for by the taxpayers.
for VETERANS who signed up to die for those tax payers. Less than 1% of the population who isn’t afraid to get shot at for you JIM. GOD FORBID we get help with our tax prep. hater. Move to Canada.
It’s obvious that you are either an ingrate or a liberal that expects the government to take care of your tired ass.
No it is paid for by the members of AARP but mostly by the preparers themselves.
Need Tax Filing help…
I need help with my taxes in Georgia..
Why doesn’t my Town here in NH.,allow for me to obtain a Tax Exemption on my Home where myself and wife reside,claiming that since I was only Discharged from Active Duty under Honorable Condition’s and am rated P&T,(Perminantly and Totally Disabled through The VA),since 2013 when I was finally able to purchase my 1st home that I do not qualify for an Exemption,is this a local or Federal matter?Why do I feel I’m being discriminated against,at age 67 this year?
I enlisted in The US Marine Corps in 1973 after High School and having signed up for the Draft in 1972,I served proudly under 3 US President’s under a 6 year enlistment plan,served 2.5yrs.active,trained for V-Nam,Nuclear and Chemically Contaminated,shot at,blown up,gased,physically abused at Parris Island,S.C.,beat 2,500 recruit’s with Ptl.399 on Marine Obstacle Course and stood tall in front of 2ND MAR.General,discontinued to Siagon,was with India Co,3/6 Marines at 2ND MAR DIV Camp LeJune,N.C.,for 18 month’s drinking and cleaning in contaminated base water supply which I feel has caused me many medical condition’s and now to be rejected for a Tax Exemption make’s me very upset,what can done to change my coded discharge that my Town and State are using against me,I remain a Faithful Marine ~~~ + ~~~
I have not field for 7yr. and owe for all 7 now I do not know what to do?
Not a single site in MA, CT, NH, or ME. For a disabled vet in western MA the closest sites are in NY and VT all 60+ miles away and very unlikely to be up to date on quirky MA tax laws.
this article is of no help, we need facts about where to go or who to call to get tax help we are not mind readers , please be specific WHAT the heck are KEY WORDS<<<<<, if you are going to help do so with real info…
it’s an AARP location in Germany?
I’m a veteran and a member of AARP and I call Tax help Magnolia Senior Center 601 Grand Ave, South San Francisco, CA 94080 on the first day it started and I made my appointment for 2020 and it got canceled because of the pandemic so when I try and make an appointment for 2021 they said I couldn’t file my taxes cause I didn’t use them last year!
Hello,
This link provides a site locator to find locations in your state and you can also start the process to make an appointment.
https://taxaide.aarpfoundation.org/
This article is useless. It doesn’t us HOW we’re supposed to get the tax help, or who to contact.
I looked into the AARP web site page and could only find Tax Prep for VET’s if you were a member of AARP.
I do not belong and will not pay them for ” free ” service.
Need tax prep.
How do I, and where can I get my taxes done. I’m also a Vet.
John Owen Athol, ID. .March 4th !:42 pm.
I need tax prep help 100% TP &IU
TERRY GAINES
How can I help volunteer my services to help other Veterans file their taxes?
Hello, I have a son who is special needs, he’s now 25, I haven’t claimed him on my taxes since he was 11, at which time I was unable to work. Denied SSD, for those years, in 2018, I was given SSI, with 1 year back pay, but was offered by the SSA 3 years. my attorney at the office of Bill Latour, vanished for 8 months. Anyway I’m on V.A. TDIU, need help.
Regards,
Larry Stone
I would like information on getting my taxes done I am retired military an how do I schedule an appointment?
https://taxaide.aarpfoundation.org/
Wow, there are 4 tax prep site within 100 miles but none closer. It seems odd since Shreveport is the city with the massive Overton Brooks Hospital but not one tax help sit till 100 miles. Kind of a shame. There should be a site within Overton Brooks with numerous preparers,
I did go to the AARP site and found very little help. Nothing there that I could not get with a google search.
Are you just putting this headline topic out there just for the sake of say the VA helps with tax preparations?
Well, it’s not working.
Hello,
I’m sorry you were not able to locate what you were looking for. This link will take you to the page to get the process started for your appointment.
https://taxaide.aarpfoundation.org/
Thanks for the help and the savings, you must find and click on “ click to get started” towards the beginning of this page.
Hi,
Where do I go to get my taxes done. Thanks: Alfred & Yvonne West.
Thanks you
You can click the link below and you will have the option to have someone prepare your taxes or assist you online. https://taxaide.aarpfoundation.org/
I am a veteran and a member of AARP. I live in Carbon County, PA. How do I set up an appointment for help in preparing my taxes?
You can click the link below and you will have the option to have someone prepare your taxes or assist you online. https://taxaide.aarpfoundation.org/
AARP sites filed up so fast that nothing was available when I called in February. I even plugged in a 100 mile radius. The article makes it sound like veterans can get an appointment but what was the cutoff to make an appointment. I just received the email today March 4. This article got the hopes up for us veterans but then dropped to the bottom when nothing was available. I question was this the same in all locations.
David Schiel, Iowa
Hello,
I am sorry you weren’t able to schedule an appointment at your location but there is an option to have assistance with your taxes done online with the link below.
https://taxaide.aarpfoundation.org/
I live in Arkansas, where would I go for help?
Hello,
Here is the link to see the location of sites in your state https://secure.aarp.org/applications/VMISLocator/searchTaxAideLocations.action?cmp=RDRCT-FNDTX_DEC23_010
If there is no site at a reasonable distance or no appointments available there is the option to have your taxes done virtually
https://taxaide.aarpfoundation.org/
Hello,
You can click this link to find locations in your state, drop off service, or virtual assistanace
https://secure.aarp.org/applications/VMISLocator/searchTaxAideLocations.action?cmp=RDRCT-FNDTX_DEC23_010
Wow, I see questions on here but no constructive answers just shive remarks. This is not what we need and I still do not see where anybody can go to get this Tax help!
There is a link in the text under the third paragraph down. it says “If you’d like to look for an appointment to receive tax filing assistance from AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide, click here to get started.”
Who do I call to make an appointment? Iam in Albuquerque, NM!
There is a link in the text under the third paragraph down. it says “If you’d like to look for an appointment to receive tax filing assistance from AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide, click here to get started.”
Got this email this morning, March 4th. Tax help WAS yesterday, Mar 3rd?? Apparently I wasn’t the only one.
Good Morning,
Where would I go or call to get this tax help?
Hello,
Here is the link to start the process to make your appointment.
https://taxaide.aarpfoundation.org/
I would like like some assistance with my tax prep being a veteran and a caregiver for a veterans survivor.
How do I set up a appointment for my taxes and where. Palm Harbor, Fl
I did not find much help in getting tax preparation help? All AARP sites were already booked up. Did you get this info out in time?
Grant,
Did you take the time to ask before you filed?
Was the first Federal Covid payment of $1200 to the US people unlimited as to an individuals income or were there limits based on yearly income?
Where do I go Or who do I call to get an appointment? Thank you, Richard Ochoa
(C’da, Idaho)
Hello,
Here is the link to start the process of making an appointment.
https://taxaide.aarpfoundation.org/
Where do I do Or Who do I call to make an appointment to get my taxes done??? Thank you, Richard Ochoa
C’da, Idaho
When can I get tax help; I am a Veteran.
I didn’t declare the 2nd stimulus I received because it came in 2021. I now know I should’ve.. Can someone help me do an amendment?
Tax turbo wants me to feel out the amount. On 1095B or 1095A. There is no amount given. Just that I received 12 months of service. What should I do? It want let me finish my taxes.
VA helps us with so many problems
Thank you for the tax help
How do I set up a drop off appointment at the West Asheville Library?
I sure wish we would have known about this before we paid out to have our taxes done this year would have been nice to be able to not have to pay for taxes to be done please let us know in the future what day it is that we can file our taxes through the veterans and we’re at location
John Catlow, the VA has helped with tax prep for years, did you take the time to ask or research options? We can’t just sit around waiting to be fed..
My husband and I are both Veterans, honorably discharged in 1979. I understand we can have our taxes done thru this AARP without being members. It also states our children can have theirs done also. Is this true? Is their a COVID Relief for people who have had a considerable amount of lost income due to the COVID that puts them in a lower tax bracket from 2019?
What are the limitations on income and complexity?
My wife and I file our Federal Income Tax return JOINTLY. Both of us received the first $600 COVID-19 checks. My wife received her second $600 check but I did not. Both of us met the financial criteria for receipt of the second check. If I have to file for this on our joint return, how do I go about doing it?
Do you offer free or low-cost income tax preparation assistance for California veterans? I live in Monterey County
Hello,
This link provides a site locator to find locations in your state.`
https://taxaide.aarpfoundation.org/
Well I could use help filling out my taxes.
Tax Filing State Of Michigan.
Need Tax Filing Help!