MaineStream Finance

Article Title: AARP-Taxaide Free Tax Prep Information (2020 tax year)

Article Content

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR! THE FREE TAX PREP SEASON IS OVER AS OF MAY 17, 2021

A VERY BIG THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS at AARP and United Way of Eastern Maine!

Penquis and MaineStream Finance partnered with AARP/Taxaide again this year in our Bangor (262 Harlow) and Dover (50 North St) offices through April 23, 2021. Please Note: Both of our joint sites are now closed.

As of March 19, the IRS and State of Maine Revenue Services have both extended tax filing season to May 17, 2021 – but don’t wait!

FREE TAX PREP OPTIONS AVAILABLE

E-mail us at MSFInfo@penquis.org or call us at 973-3500 for more information or if you need help.

PENQUIS – AARP Registration Details [CLOSED FOR SEASON]

  • [SITE CLOSED] Dover-Foxcroft for Piscataquis and nearby Somerset and Penobscot County towns – 50 North Street
    • Days of the Week: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday
    • Hours: 9 AM to 4 PM
    • How to Register: call 974-2440
  • [SITE CLOSED] Bangor for southern Penobscot County (and northeast Waldo and western Hancock counties) – 262 Harlow Street (parking in the rear of the building – entrance nearest the Federal Building)
    • Days of the week: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday (through April)
    • Hours: 8:20 AM to 4 PM

Please consider filing for free if you can online at GetYourRefund or MyFreeTaxes.com – you can still get a phone consult with a tax expert for free. You can scroll down below to “OTHER FREE TAX PREP SITES” for alternative sites including Eastern Maine CA$H, AARP Taxaide, and United Way of Eastern Maine or call Maine 211.

  • FAQs - GENERAL PROCEDURES

    • Please bear with us – there will be many changes! Due to COVID-19 and the fluid nature of the situation, it will take some time to have the sessions fully up and running and available hours and days may fluctuate due to weather, volunteer availability, and general COVID-19-related issues. As things change, we will update this website daily and if you are registered, we will call you if anything changes.
    • What if Harlow St- Bangor or Dover don’t have my preferred days or are full? There are other sites open – they are listed below – scroll to the bottom. We also encourage folks to file online at GetYourRefund.org. Other websites that will have tax prep location information are:
    • May 17  is now the new the filing deadline for the IRS and State of Maine (versus typically being April 15). You can always file an extension as well. Stay tuned.
    • COVID-19 social distancing rules are strictly adhered to. You must wear a mask, agree to social distancing from the volunteers, and you must come alone. If you are not feeling well the day of your appointment, please contact us to reschedule. We will take care of you!
    • Schedule your first visit one week ahead of time. AARP has to mail you an intake packet you need to fill out.
    • Only one client at a time will be allowed in the building – please ask your friends or family to stay home or remain in their cars.
    • There will be two shorter, 20-minute visits. 1) to drop off documents and 2) to pick up documents and sign the tax return one week after your 1st visit.
    • No walk-ins allowed – you must call ahead to make both appointments.
    • Please fill-out intake packet and bring the list of documents AARP asks you to bring. Once you register, AARP will mail by post the packet of forms that need to be filled out before your first visit.
    • There will be much fewer in-person time slots this season because of social distancing rules, that there are fewer volunteers available this year, and that there are fewer sites open.
    • If there is a closure due to weather, please call and we will reschedule. Even if we are open but you are not comfortable, call us and we’ll reschedule – not to worry at – 973-3500.
    • If you cannot come, please let us know as soon as possible. The need is much grater than the supply of tax volunteers this year.  If you skip the session and don’t tell us, that means you blocked someone from getting the needed help.
    • Please, please, if you are comfortable with the technology and have connectivity, PLEASE FILE ONLINE FOR FREE. We need to do the in-person visits for those who truly need the help such as those without good internet connections, those with disabilities, etc. Your online options for free tax filing are:
      • GetYourRefund in which you file by taking pictures of your forms with your phone. You will get a phone call from a local volunteer.
      • MyFreeTaxes.com – self-filing or with assistance
      • IRS Free File – self-filing through the internet.
    • Beware of Scams and Bait-and-Switch! There are many scammers out there offering to file your taxes who will steal your information and/or your refund. Only go through the websites above and below for VITA, AARP, GetYourRefund, IRS, etc. Also be careful of some (not all) for-profit tax preparers. Some will appear to offer the free tax filing service and will switch the offer or add on fees at the end once you have given them all of your information. If unsure, email us at MSFInfo@penquis.org.
    • What if I typically do not file because I do not make enough income? Should I file for the Federal Relief checks?  The best answer is probably you should file if you have not received your 2nd federal relief check yet – just to be sure.  It can make sense to file as well for some Maine State tax credits.
    • What if I am just filing with the State of Maine for rent or property tax rebates or for sales tax credits?  You can visit the Maine Revenue Service website, call them at 207-624-9784 Mon-Fri  9AM – 12 PM, or email them at taxpayerassist@maine.gov.
    • Other State of Maine Revenue Services resources:
    • What if I have a question or issues with the IRS? They have a 24-hour call service at 1-800-829-1040 or visit IRS.gov.  For specific needs, go to:

  • OTHER FREE TAX PREP SITES IN EASTERN MAINE AND OTHER REGIONS

    Most Free Tax Prep Sites in Maine will be through either of the following organizations: AARP or VITA/CA$H Maine.  Below in the following tabs are more details about sites across Central, Eastern, and Northern Maine. For both AARP/Taxaide and VITA/CA$H, you generally need to call ahead of time to set-up an appointment.

    NOTE: Please consider remote tax prep and filing through GetYourRefund with VITA.  VITA through United Way of Eastern Maine strongly encourages those who have access and are comfortable with the technology, to take pictures of your documents and file them with GetYourRefund.  You will still have a consult with a live tax volunteer over the phone.  Since the number of in-person visits are limited, this will allow those who truly need to be in person to do so and not miss out.  Thank you!

    • Greater Bangor / S. Penobscot County

      • [CLOSED]  United Way of Eastern Maine – Bangor
        • Location: 700 Main Street, Bangor, ME 04401 (near McLaughlin’s Seafood – near Hampden border/overpass)
        • Days and Times: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 AM to 2 PM
        • Tel: 941-2800
        • More info: https://www.unitedwayem.org/taxes/
        • Process: Bring your tax documents and copies of your ID, if possible, to the drop-box that is available in UWEM’s lobby. Envelopes and intake sheets are available at the box for clients to fill out the front page. They at least need a phone number and a mailing address. There should be a one-week turnaround, and the box will be open through March. The box will not be available outside the hours above.
      • [CLOSED – due to COVID and TIME SLOTS FULL] Elks Lodge – 108 Odlin Rd – AARP Taxaide (former Bangor Library site) – currently booked into March
          • Instructions – Walk-in Only – must pick-up packet and set appointment in person (3 visits total)
          • Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 AM to 4 PM
      • [CLOSED – due to COVID and TIME SLOTS FULL] Penobscot Job Corps Center (1375 Union St, Bangor) – AARP/Taxaide – currently booked to the end of March
        • call 207-469-8290
        • Thursdays, 4-7 PM
      • [CLOSED] Four Directions/Wabanaki CA$H
        • Orono – , (20 Godfrey Drive), Curbside Clinics on March 23, and April 9.  Call: 866-2019.  (for Wabanaki Community)
        • Penobscot Nation – Indian Island – 2/16 and 3/16, 9 AM to 4 PM, call 866-2019

    • Aroostook County

      • [CLOSED] Presque Isle: through United Way of Aroostook/VITA and virtual through GetYourRefund
        • United Way of Aroostook – 830 Main St Presque Isle
        • call 764-5197 to make appointments
      • [CLOSED] Wabanaki CA$H through Four Directions Development Corp./VITA – multiple sites
        • Houlton – Rollerama – 494 N. Rd, call: 866-2019 – March 1 (Maliseet Community)
        • Presque Isle, 7 Northern Rd, call: 866-2019, March 2, (Micmac Community)

    • Central Maine/Capital Area - Kennebec and Somerset Counties

      Can file at GetYourRefund.org with your phone and will get a phone consult from a local tax volunteer for VITA. For updates, go to the Capital Area CA$H website and the Central Maine CA$H website.

      • [CLOSED] Kennebec County
        • Lithgow Public Library (45 Winthrop St, Augusta)
          • Drop-off and Scan
          • Call 621-3430 to make appointments
        • Waterville High School (1 Brooklyn Ave) – Central Maine CA$H-VITA
          • Drop-off and Scan
          • Call 859-1632 to make appointments
        • KVCAP (101 Water Street, Waterville, ME)
          • Drop-off and Scan
          • call 859-1632 to make appointments
      • Somerset County – none

      Note: We are not aware of any physical locations for Somerset County at this time but will update here if we learn of any.  So for now one can file on GetYourRefund or call the Kennebec sites above.  

    • Downeast - Washington - Hancock Counties

      • Hancock County (AARP/Taxaide)
      • [CLOSED] Washington County VITA drop-off locations (multiple)
        • Eastern Maine CA$H – United Way of Eastern Maine (VITA) drop-off sites
          • Calais Free Library, 9 Union St, 454-2758
          • Eastport Peavey Memorial Library, 26 Water St, 853-4021
          • Machias Savings Bank-Machias, 4 Center Street, 255-9383
          • Milbridge Library, 18 School Street, 546-3066
          • Princeton Public Library, 40 Main Street, 796-5333
        • [CLOSED] Wabanaki CA$H through Four Directions Development Corp./VITA – multiple sites
          • Perry/Pleasant Point, 23 Koluskap  Rd
            • 207-866-2019
            • Mach 8, 9 AM
          • Princeton – call for appointments at 866-2019

    • N. Penobscot County - Katahdin Region

      • [CLOSED] Lincoln: AARP/Taxaide (possibly coming soon at Community Evangelical Church)
      • [CLOSED] Millinocket Church of the Nazarene – Katahdin Region: AARP/Taxaide – call: 723-4533.

    • Waldo and Knox Counties

      Waldo County

      Knox County -none

      As far as we can tell, there are no physical locations for Tax Prep in Knox County this year.  The Rockland Pubic Library is not doing it this year with AARP.

      • Midcoast CA$H/VITA is doing online filing through GetYourRefund with a consult from a local volunteer over the phone.
        • If you cannot scan your documents online, please call Midcoast CA$H at 207-295-6340 or email them at uwcash@uwmcm.org.

    • Wabanaki - Native American Communities

    • Other Maine Regions and Virtual from Anywhere

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