Comments on: My Life as a Volunteer Tax Preparer – Week 5

By: Julio

Julio — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:04:40 +0000

Its nice to hear people are doing the respectable thing, Im part of the VITA program this year and am looking for a few good volunteers. I wish every tax preparer had a good heart like this fella did right here, and help the lower income families who require the most assistance. For those who do not know VITA tax preparers provide free income tax returns for low income families.

By: Beth

Beth — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 09:45:45 +0000

I really enjoy these stories.

By: Mr. ToughMoneyLove

Mr. ToughMoneyLove — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 05:31:23 +0000

Kitty: I didn’t mean to suggest that there was anything wrong with working for a single employer for an extended period. I just think it is so unusual in today’s workplace to see that happen.

With all of the refundable credits now being tossed around by the government, a lot of people are afraid they are going to miss out on something if they try to do their own return.

By: kitty

kitty — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 00:37:38 +0000

“Can you imagine working for the same large corporation (and it was one of the biggest) for 40 years? ”
Sure. I’ve worked for the same large corporation (IBM) for 25 years – got to chose my 25-year gift last summer, and I plan to continue working for it for as long as they’ll keep me or until I retire (if they keep me as long). A lot of people who work with me have worked for a long time too.

Why do you think it’s a problem to work for many years for the same corporation? If you are happy with your salary, if you like what you do, if you are happy with the work environment, why would you bother changing? Sure, you may occasionally get a higher salary, but often you lose something else – some benefits like vacation days, for example, the type of job you do, or just people you know and like working with.

On a different subject – totally agree with everyone about the daughter not returning money to her mother. Ditto on the cost of tax preparation for a straight-forward return. I’ve always wondered why people whose return is very simple can’t do their own taxes.

By: Beef Up Your Piggy

Beef Up Your Piggy — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:14:57 +0000

I agree with everyone commenting on the daughter borrowing from her mother and not returning it, etc. However, there should be some accountability to the poor mother. She has probably enabled this daughter her entire life allowing the daughter to even begin to have the nerve she apparently does. Or the entitlement, depending on hwo you look at it. As a parent, I think it is imperative to teach your children how to be independent and contributing members of society…otherwise, you are doing them a giant disservice.

By: Mr. ToughMoneyLove

Mr. ToughMoneyLove — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 13:55:03 +0000

Jelaina: We schedule appointments 60 minutes apart but I get most done in about 25-30 minutes. If you are using TaxWise software (or something similar), that is doable. Congrats on your effort.

By: Jelaina

Jelaina — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 08:28:38 +0000

I’m in the midst of helping get potential volunteers trained and will be having our first volunteer tax clinics (hopefully) in about two weeks, with the Accounting Club at my college. We’ll be preparing only simple returns at this time, but it’s a good start.

Do you have any advice on how much time to schedule for those who need their taxes done, per person or couple?

Thanks for the story!