By Cathy Green
That time of year is almost at hand — the Ides of April, when Uncle Sam lays claim to a piece of your bank account — legally.
Others want a share, too, and their tactics may not be legal. No matter how often “If it seems too good to be true, it is,” is repeated, scam artists continue to find victims.
A red flag should go up any time a tax preparer “finds” an unexpectedly large refund, warns the Internal Revenue Service. This is some of the advice IRS includes in its Tax Counseling for the Elderly program.
“Taxpayers shouldn’t let their guard down,” advised the IRS’ then-Commissioner Mark W. Everson last year. “[They] should remember they are ultimately responsible for what is on their tax return.”
Mistakes, even innocent ones, can be expensive if tax evasion is proved. The penalty could be a five-year prison term and $250,000 fine.
A recurring trick, according to the IRS: you get an e-mail, supposedly from the IRS, advising you that you’re eligible for a tax refund, and directing you to a link that asks your Social Security and credit card numbers. Don’t go there. If you have a question about an IRS contact, call 1-800-829-1040.
For rebate, you must file
Many low-income seniors are not required to file income tax returns. However, you must file a 2007 federal income tax return this year in order to receive a tax rebate from the government's economic stimulus program. Most low-income seniors on Social Security will be eligible to receive a $300 rebate for individuals and a $600 rebate for couples.
The IRS has programs to help taxpayers get all that’s due them while assuring it gets its fair share. The Tax Counseling for the Elderly program provides free tax preparation help to those over 60.
Volunteers for AARP, which offers this service through Tax-Aide, will be on hand at Philadelphia locations, in most cases through April 15. It’s advisable to telephone in advance, because some of the centers require appointments.
Some libraries offer tax assistance. Call for days and hours.
Locations are all handicap-accessible unless otherwise noted:
Center City
Mayor’s Commission on Services
for the Aging, 100 S. Broad St. (Suite 401), Wednesdays and Thursdays from
9 a.m.-1 p.m., 215-686-8450
Germantown
Grace Baptist Church Christian Center, 29 W. Johnson St., Wednesdays 10 a.m.-2 p.m., 215-848-2700
North Philadelphia
Miller Memorial Baptist Church, 1518 N. 22nd St., Thursdays, 10 a.m.-
2 p.m. (first come, first served),
215-765-3616
St. Joachim Church, 1527 Church St., Tuesdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., 215-535-0580
Northeast Philadelphia
Bushrod Branch Library, at 6304 Castor Ave., Fridays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., 215-685-1471
Holmesburg Branch Library, 7810 Frankford Ave., Thursdays, noon-4, 215-685-8756
Katharine Drexel Branch Library, 11099 Knights Road, Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., 215-685-9383
Lawncrest Branch Library, 6098 Rising Sun Ave., Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-
2 p.m., 215-685-0549
Tacony Branch Library, 6742 Torresdale Ave., Fridays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (it is not handicap accessible),
215-685-8755
Philadelphia Health Center No. 10, 2230 Cottman Ave., Thursdays,
10 a.m.-2 p.m., 215-685-0600
Welsh Road Branch Library, 9233 Roosevelt Blvd., Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-
2 p.m. (rear entrance of Boulevard Lane and Welsh Road), 215-685-0498
South Philadelphia
Tolentine Development Center, 1025 Mifflin St., Mondays and Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., 215-389-0717
Southwest Philadelphia
Southwest Senior Center, 6916 Elmwood Ave., Mondays, Tuesdays
and Thursdays, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.,
215-937-1880
West Oak Lane
West Oak Lane Senior Center, 7210 Ogontz Ave., Mondays, 9-11:30 a.m., 215-685-3511
West Philadelphia
Calvary Baptist Church, 6122 Haverford Ave., Tuesdays, Thursdays, 10 a.m-2 p.m., 215-747-9979
Kaiserman JCC, 45 Haverford Road (at City Line), Wynnewood, Fridays,
9 a.m.-1 p.m., 610-896-7770
To find other Tax-Aide locations, you may call 1-888-227-7669, or visit www.aarp.org and enter your zip code.
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