Tax time has arrived and area American Association of RetiredPersons (AARP) volunteers once again are gearing up to help seniorsand low to moderate income citizens fill out their tax returns.

Tax time has arrived and area American Association of RetiredPersons (AARP) volunteers once again are gearing up to help seniorsand low to moderate income citizens fill out their tax returns.

While the Tax Aide program doesn’t start until Feb. 5 at thelibrary, volunteers are getting training this week at the St.Francis of Assisi Center on East Cherokee Street.

“We’ve got people here from Natchez, McComb and Brookhaven,”said Houston Case, a volunteer who’s been with the Brookhavenprogram since its start 11 years ago.

Tax Aide is administered by AARP and designed to help low tomoderate income taxpayers, with special emphasis on helping theelderly, said Ed Hunter, communications specialist.

Volunteer training began Wednesday and will conclude Friday.

“For most of us old at it, it’s a refresher,” Case said of thetraining. “Plus we can pick up on the new things IRS is doing thisyear.”

Aside from normal, built-in adjustments on tax schedules andsome other areas, training instructor Jane Hunter said there nomajor changes with this year’s tax forms.

“Everything’s pretty much the same,” she said.

Paul Reuter, Tax Aide district coordinator, said training isstill important.

“Even if nothing changes, you’re only dealing with it for a fewmonths,” Reuter said. “You need to come back and get refreshed onit.”

Starting Feb. 5, the free Tax Aide Program will be at theLincoln County Public Library on Mondays from 1-5 p.m. The programwill go through April 15, the tax return filing deadline.

When they come for help, tax payers should bring the federal andstate income tax packages they received in the mail. Other items tobring include their last year’s tax return, their W-2s, 1099s andother important tax documents.

Reuter said six volunteers will be working in Brookhaven, fourin Natchez and three in McComb. Tax help services are set up atlocal public libraries.

“That’s the best place to do it,” Reuter said.

Statewide, Ed Hunter said there are about 200 volunteers withthe Tax Aide program at approximately 60 locations. Last year,volunteers were able to help more than 10,000 people.

Reuter and Case have been with the tax help program since itbegan in Brookhaven. The first year, Case said 44 returns were doneand Reuter said close to 300 were completed last year.

“It’s grown pretty good,” Case said.

Reuter estimated that about 90 percent of the clients receiverefunds.

Reuter said about two-thirds of those getting help are seniorcitizens and a similar percentage are repeat clients. However, headded that volunteers see people from other age groups as well.

“We get quite a few kids, people who work in fast food andthings like that,” Reuter said.