Senior Center, AARP offering altered tax preparation services

Jan. 12, 2021 | Dennis Hackett
dennis@thereminder.com

SOUTHWICK – With COVID-19 cases on the rise, the Southwick Senior Center will be running a contactless tax aide service in partnership with AARP beginning on Feb. 16.

Council on Aging Director Cindy Sullivan said participants will have to drop off their tax information and be available by phone while AARP volunteers fill out the forms.

“They have to call the Senior Center to make an appointment. This year we are scheduling. We are making 12 appointments in one day. On the day that they are scheduled they need to drop off their paperwork in a box outside the sliding glass door between 8 and 9 in the morning. So, people need to be available by phone if they have any questions,” she said.

Once the volunteers are finished filling out the tax forms, Sullivan said the Senior Center will call with a pickup time.

While the program was initially supposed to begin on Feb. 2, Sullivan said it had to be pushed back to Feb. 16.

“The AARP representative delayed it two weeks because he needs time to prepare for the new process,” she said.

With COVID-19 cases surging again, Sullivan said she wanted the drop off to be as contactless as possible.

"Usually, it has been the traditional making appointments, coming in and sitting with the AARP representative. We are only doing it this way because of the coronavirus this year and we are trying to do it as contactless as possible,” she said.

Sullivan said that people should have a backup plan in case the program is cancelled as it was last year when the pandemic began.

“People should probably have a plan B just in case AARP decides to not allow their volunteers to be about in the public, we’re hoping that doesn’t happen, but it’s up to the AARP if they are going to allow their volunteers to run this program. Last year it got shut down in the middle of March and people were scrambling,” she said.

Interested residents can call the Senior Center throughout January to schedule a day to drop off their tax information, but spots are filling up fast.

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