Nancy McQueen (left) and Paula Rak (right) are assisting Wrangell residents with filing their federal income taxes this year. This is McQueen's third year with the tax assistance program, she said. Rak has been at it since 2008.
Tax season is not commonly thought of as an enjoyable experience. There is complicated paperwork, the stress of reviewing personal finances, the headache of doing math. Fortunately for Wrangell residents, there are people who not only are willing to help with tax preparation, but also enjoy it.
"I like helping people," said Paula Rak. "It's fun for me."
Rak, and Nancy McQueen are volunteer tax counselors with the American Association of Retired Persons' tax aide program. McQueen said this is her third year helping people file their taxes. Rak has been doing it since 2008.
In her first year, Rak said she helped file taxes for about 25 people. It has grown since then, and she said on average they help file 150 returns a year in Wrangell. As of Saturday, she said they have done 60 tax returns already this season.
The AARP tax assistance program is open to anybody regardless of age, Rak said.
This year, because of COVID-19, things are somewhat different from previous years. In most communities, the program has become exclusively virtual, Rak said However, thanks to the low case count in Wrangell, they are still able to hold in-person appointments at the Nolan Center on Saturdays. Rak said they e-file the tax returns.
Rak said they will help people with their taxes up until the weekend before the April 15 filing deadline. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 874-3824 or 305-0309.
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