ESCANABA — AARP will offer free tax assistance at the Escanaba Public Library. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is the nation’s largest free tax assistance and preparation service. This program offers free tax preparation help to anyone, especially those who are 50 or older and are of low to middle income. Membership in AARP is not required.

Services are provided locally at the Escanaba Public Library. Please call the library at 906-789-7323 to register. Registration will be taken only during the scheduled hours of 9 to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday. Due to Covid 19 restrictions this year, each taxpayer AARP services will be required to have two appointments, one to bring in their documents and fill out an intake form, and a second one to review and sign their prepared return. Taxpayers will not be allowed to remain while their return is prepared. Because of this, AARP is limiting the initial number of registrations to 150. A wait list will be established when 150 appointments are reached, but AARP is not able to guarantee an appointment.

Tax preparation will begin the second week of February. Registered taxpayers will be called to set up their first appointment. A list of documents needed to have a tax return prepared is available at the library. Each taxpayer’s second appointment to review and sign their completed return will be made when their documents are received.

This is the 15th year that AARP Tax-Aide and the Escanaba Public Library have worked together to offer this community service.

AARP Tax-Aide is administered through the AARP Foundation in cooperation with the IRS and Michigan Department of Treasury. Volunteers are trained and IRS certified each year to ensure their knowledge of revisions to the U.S. Tax Code. For more information about Tax-Aide, or becoming a Volunteer Counselor call toll-free at: 1-800-227-7669 or visit the web site at www.aarp.org/tax-aide.