Thursday, February 16, 2006
Another Shift at NM Tax Help
I spent another day volunteering at New Mexico Tax Help. (See previous posts for info.)
I helped a number of clients with their taxes. The waiting room was full the whole time (10am-2pm) There was another volunteer there for about the first half of that time.
Around noon my wife came by and we made plans to have a late lunch at 2:00.
Just before 2:00, done of the clients came into the work area and asked how long I would be there. I said "I guess until I am done."
A staff worker came to my rescue and told most of the people in the waiting room to come back another day. She set me up with one more client to help after I finished the one I was working on.
Turns out, the tax return for the person I was helping at that time could not be filed electronically because one of her W2's had a typographical error on it. One of the staff workers informed her that she could hand correct the typo, attach a note to her return explaining the problem and file by mail. I printed two copies of the return and gave them to her. I said, "Just write the note, correct thet W2 and mail it in. She looked at me kind of puzzled. I asked her, "Have you ever mailed in your return before? She said she had never done that, she had always had it done for her at a tax service.
I helped her correct the W2 and write the note. I said she just needed to sign it and mail it in. Hoping to get to the next client. She did know the correct address. I tried to look it up in Pub 17 but was not finding it very quickly. I was anxious to help the next couple who had been waiting for a long time. I asked her to take a seat nearby and that I would go ahead and help the next couple. I would ask one of the staff people to help her with the address as soon as one of them came by.
I started with the next client, keeping an eye out for the staff workers. None ever came. When my wife showed up about two, the lady had been waiting a long time. I asked my wife to help her. They got it all squared away.
I finished with the next couple in about 15 minutes. We left at about 2;30 and had a great lunch of pita sandwiches at a middle eastern restaurant nearby.
Right in the middle of lunch it hit me. I told my wife I completely forgot about helping her with mailing in her state tax forms. My wife, being the sharp one of the family anyway, told me she had taken care of that. She bailed me out.
I resolved to take some large preaddressed envelopes with me next time.
Grier Daniels
I helped a number of clients with their taxes. The waiting room was full the whole time (10am-2pm) There was another volunteer there for about the first half of that time.
Around noon my wife came by and we made plans to have a late lunch at 2:00.
Just before 2:00, done of the clients came into the work area and asked how long I would be there. I said "I guess until I am done."
A staff worker came to my rescue and told most of the people in the waiting room to come back another day. She set me up with one more client to help after I finished the one I was working on.
Turns out, the tax return for the person I was helping at that time could not be filed electronically because one of her W2's had a typographical error on it. One of the staff workers informed her that she could hand correct the typo, attach a note to her return explaining the problem and file by mail. I printed two copies of the return and gave them to her. I said, "Just write the note, correct thet W2 and mail it in. She looked at me kind of puzzled. I asked her, "Have you ever mailed in your return before? She said she had never done that, she had always had it done for her at a tax service.
I helped her correct the W2 and write the note. I said she just needed to sign it and mail it in. Hoping to get to the next client. She did know the correct address. I tried to look it up in Pub 17 but was not finding it very quickly. I was anxious to help the next couple who had been waiting for a long time. I asked her to take a seat nearby and that I would go ahead and help the next couple. I would ask one of the staff people to help her with the address as soon as one of them came by.
I started with the next client, keeping an eye out for the staff workers. None ever came. When my wife showed up about two, the lady had been waiting a long time. I asked my wife to help her. They got it all squared away.
I finished with the next couple in about 15 minutes. We left at about 2;30 and had a great lunch of pita sandwiches at a middle eastern restaurant nearby.
Right in the middle of lunch it hit me. I told my wife I completely forgot about helping her with mailing in her state tax forms. My wife, being the sharp one of the family anyway, told me she had taken care of that. She bailed me out.
I resolved to take some large preaddressed envelopes with me next time.
Grier Daniels
# posted by Dan @ 9:36 PM 
