Seniors’ tax returns prepared for free

By MICHAEL MARESH

Staff writer

The tax man is coming.

For the last two years, Lu Turk, director of Marion County’s department on aging, has been helping seniors file tax returns.

Turk is not a tax professional, but is a volunteer income tax assistant or VITA.

To become a VITA, she had to take tests and promise to follow a code of conduct and ethics.

A tax professional doing the same thing she does might charge $150 to file a simple return.

“There is no reason to pay anyone to do your taxes,” Turk said.

Nonfarm income tax is what she does. Tax filings are free at the senior center for people 55 and older.

To date, 22 seniors have taken advantage of Turk doing their taxes this year. Last year, 62 people took advantage of the opportunity.

“People bring in their taxes and fill out an intake form that tells me how they want to file,” she said.

Turk is also the only person in the county who offers free tax assistance.

She has a mentor who works in Harvey County. Turk reaches out to her whenever she has questions.

“I consider myself a newbie,” she said. “We are not allowed to take any money for this service. We get paid through the county.”

A good percentage of tax returns Turk works on are for people making less than $55,000 a year.

“Most of the time, it is just Social Security income,” she said.

A lot of them are widows or widowers who have no idea how tax laws work.

“We need to start educating people,” she said. “I don’t want them to struggle.”

Turk tells seniors their options.

“I lived in a big house that I didn’t need, so I downsized,” she said.

As people get closer to retirement age, they need to be prepared and understand the cost to live comfortably.

This includes having a good, dependable, paid-off vehicle. Insurance costs also need to be factored in.

“So many of us work paycheck to paycheck,” she said.

Seniors struggling with utility bills might be able to qualify for the Low Income Energy Assistance Program.

She also advises seniors owning a home to look into a homestead deduction, which gives $700 back to homeowners

When Turk was interviewed by the county for her position, she considered it her dream job, and she still does.

While there is no charge for income tax assistance, all she wants in return is a hug.

A lot of people take advantage of the elderly.

“I try to right the wrong,” she said.