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Saving on Tax Preparation

April 17, the day people have to turn in their state and federal income tax returns is quickly approaching. The average return can be filled out in less than an hour, yet many people are not taking advantage of free tax help. There are a few volunteers who are helping people sort out their tax documents in time.

With less than a month left to file, plenty of places around the capital city are offering tax help at a bargain basement rate. For a real bargain, you can head to a library near you.

"It`s been a very busy year for us. This year, we`re about 30 percent ahead of where we were last year at this time at the Bismarck library," said tax counselor Wayne Greenup.

Volunteers from the AARP are once again offering to help people on their state and federal tax returns.

"We do not have any restrictions as far as income or age in ours. You can be a high school student, you can be retired for 20 years, it doesn`t matter," Greenup said.

With new tax software such as Turbotax, most people can do their own filing from home. However, unless you`re talking to a professional, it`s easy to overlook a few things.

"There`s no limitations on what you can put in there, just as long as you know you`re reporting the corrected amounts. And there`s no guidelines or go-to questions for most of those. That`s where a tax professional comes into play," said Liberty Tax Operations Manager Jace Eagleman.

"If they don`t have a retirement plan and they want to contribute to an IRA, some of the deductions that come in there might get overlooked," Greenup added.

If you file before the end of the month, you likely won`t need an appointment. It could save you a little change in your pocket and might even get you a refund from Uncle Sam.

Volunteers are offering the free service at the Bismarck and Morton Mandan public libraries along with the Bismarck Senior Center.

They add if you`re a business owner or have any flood damage to report, they likely won`t be able to help you.