All sites suspended operations effective Monday, March 16, 2020, for a minimum of two weeks. That was the email that was sent out to all Tax-Aide sites on Saturday, March 14, 2020. Once we receive permission to resume this service, we will add extra days and hours and provide this service until the end of tax season, whenever that might be
Since the first week in February, twelve dedicated volunteers have worked six days every week answering tax questions, preparing federal and state tax returns, filing them both electronically and via snail mail, and amending prior tax returns prepared incorrectly by others, both for 2019 and for prior years, for more than clients. However, this past Thursday, both the Council on Aging and the Bedford Public Library were ordered closed, the two sites where we met with clients preparing their returns.
Undaunted, and informed that the First Church of Christ Congregational in Bedford would provide us with two rooms where we could continue meeting with clients, the fantastic staff at the COA contacted all clients who had scheduled appointments of the new location and that we would meet with them, provide the appropriate social distance between the client and the preparer, and continue the same six days every week until the end of the tax season.
Unfortunately, this only lasted for two days when our umbrella organization, AARP Foundation Tax-Aide informed us that we could no longer continue and if we ignored their demand, they would shut us down and we’d lose the opportunity to continue this service in the future, which we certainly don’t want to do.
Our hope is that we all stay safe and healthy and look forward to serving our clients in the not too distant future.
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