Posted on Tue, Feb. 26, 2008

-- The AARP Tax-Aide program offers free e-filing of federal and state returns to most Coast residents.

Forty-five volunteers at 13 sites are helping low- to middle-income taxpayers with special emphasis on older persons, said Van Carpenter, district coordinator for Tax-Aide on the Mississippi Coast.

The volunteer counselors provide free assistance to taxpayers using the basic tax return and those who file for earned income tax credit, child tax credit and additional child tax credit. Interest and dividend income, all retirement income and education credits are included with many other items in the Tax-Aide program.

Last year the volunteers helped approximately 7,000 people in the three Coast counties. More than 3,000 federal returns and 2,000 state returns were e-filed.

Tax-Aide sites and schedules:

• Burton Memorial United Methodist Church, 2419 22nd Ave., Gulfport, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday and Wednesday

• Hancock County Library, 312 U.S. 90, Bay St. Louis, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday and Saturday

• West Biloxi Public Library, 2047 Pass Road, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday

• Nugent United Methodist Church, 13183 John Clark Road, Gulfport, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday and Wednesday

• Gautier Public Library, 2100 Library Lane, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday and Saturday

• Margaret Sherry Library, 2141 Popp's Ferry Road, Biloxi, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday

• D'Iberville Public Library, 10391 Auto Mall Parkway, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday

• New Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church, 3302 23rd Ave., Gulfport, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday

• Kiln Public Library, 16603 Mississippi 603, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday

• Ocean Springs Public Library, 525 Dewey Ave., 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday, Thursday and Saturday

• Vancleave Public Library, 12604 Mississippi 57, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday

• Long Beach Public Library, 209 Jeff Davis Ave., 1-5 p.m. Thursday

• Jackson County Civic Center, 2902 Shortcut Road, Pascagoula, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday and Thursday

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