AARP-Tax Aide & Dutchess County CASH Coalition

 Total of 6 years from September to May (Tax Season) 45 hours per week. Off tax season 10 hours per

 To many people preparing their personal income taxes can often be confusing, complicated and costly. For low income individuals the process is further hampered if they are unable to pay to have their taxes prepared. Because of these obstacles many people do not file thus missing out on important credits and or refunds and still others file incorrectly and do not receive the money they are entitled to. For many Dutchess County families receiving these credits and refunds mean the difference between living above or below the poverty line. As a volunteer for AARP Tax-Aide for the past six years Barbara Kaiser has assisted hundreds of Dutchess County residents file their taxes. It may be a retired senior on limited income who needs to file their taxes to ensure they receive the Enhanced Star Credit or a working family who would have missed out on receiving valuable tax credits and refunds if not for her assistance.

 To many Barbara has been their AARP Tax-Aide Counselor for over six years. To those she serves she is a trusted friend a resource and an advocate helping each of them navigate through the often confusing process of filing their taxes. To many working families it is Barbara that is the catalyst to ensure they receive the refunds and credits they need to pay their Central Hudson bill, make those needed car repairs, or have the funds to start a savings account. She can be described as tenacious, and one that loves a challenge. If a customer faces a particular situation that requires extra effort and research she will see it through to the end. Because of her extensive knowledge and years of service she has often assisted families in filing amended returns and thus securing missed credits and refunds from prior tax years. All while saving individuals the added expense of paying to have their taxes prepared. For the past five years Barbara has also served the role of AARP Tax-Aide Local Coordinator. In this function Barbara recruits and trains volunteer tax preparers, assists with identification of tax sites and manage the operations of these sites during the tax season. Her fellow volunteers know Barbara as a successful leader one that is thorough, detailed and knowledgeable. She fully supports her team providing guidance and direction to new preparers while ensuring the quality and 100% accuracy of each return is maintained. While still assuming the tasks of Tax Counselor and Local Coordinator Barbara has taken on a larger role over the past 18 months to include AARP Tax-Aide District Coordinator. In this capacity Barbara is responsible for the oversight of AARP Tax Aide programs in 2 counties which includes 23 AARP Tax-Aide Sites, 19 tax-sites in Dutchess County alone. In her current role Barbara provides direction and support to 74 AARP Tax-Aide volunteers just in Dutchess County alone.

 In her new role Barbara lead a 37% expansion of AARP Tax-Aide sites in Dutchess County while incorporating the CASH Coalition into the fold of AARP Tax-Aide work. This expansion allowed greater access to this valuable service to the county’s low income individuals and families. By incorporating the work of the CASH Coalition low income families were offered information or direct service on county programs that assist in stretching their dollars right at the tax sites. Through this partnership, county residents could sign up for health insurance, see if they qualify for food stamps or access information on budgeting classes plus a host of other services while having their taxes prepared. It was Barbara’s collaborative spirit that was instrumental in bringing about this merger. One important measure to the economic impact of this program as it relates to low income working families is the number who received the Earned Income Tax Credit. For filing tax year 2009 AARP Tax- Aid realized a 49% increase in number of families receiving the EITC, one of working families’ most valuable tax credit. AARP-Tax Aide realized and 89% increase in the EITC as compared to 2008 filing year. Close to $100,000 was returned to Dutchess County residents in EITC. Under Barbara’s leadership as AARP Tax-Aide District Coordinator for tax year 2009, 2688 returns were completed and over $2.6 million in refunds and credits were received by Dutchess County residents this represented a 50% increase in total refunds from the prior year. Adding to these impressive numbers is the money that was saved by low income families who had their tax returns prepared for free. According to the National Society of Accountants the average fee for tax preparation services in New York is $252. Through this program low income families saved $677,376 in tax preparation fees by the services offered through AARP Tax -Aide.

 Barbara Kaiser exemplifies the essence of the Spirit of Dutchess County Award as she generously gives of her time and talents. Her efforts to increase the financial stability of Dutchess County low-income families by providing and facilitating free income tax preparation services has far reaching effects. From the working parent struggling to make ends meet to the entire county that benefits from the economic impact of these dollars being returned to our neighbors and spent in our communities, Barbara’s hard work impacts us all. We can all thank Barbara for such terrific volunteer efforts.

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