Free tax-filing assistance is available once again in Washington state starting Thursday.

The AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide program is available to everyone regardless of age or income level, according to a new release.

Charles Humble, communication volunteer lead for the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program at AARP Washington, said people are grateful for the program, recalling a single mom with three kids he helped get several thousand dollars back through her tax refund.

“It was just that joy of being able to see somebody get something that they have coming but they might never have gotten before because they would not have been able to figure out how to get that extra refund that they have coming,” Humble explained.

The program has 125 sites available across Washington. Humble noted preparers can help people figure out if they qualify for the Working Families Tax Credit, for instance. Last year, more than 200,000 Washingtonians qualified for the credit, receiving $115 million in total refunds.

Humble pointed out the volunteer tax preparers are IRS certified.

“They’re volunteers but they love what they’re doing,” Humble observed. “They like doing taxes, they enjoy being good at it and they couple that interest in a subject with a desire to help people, and this is a way of giving back.”

Last year, Tax-Aide volunteers assisted more than 1.5 million people nationally with their taxes. While the program can help in most cases, they may not be able to help in some complicated situations, such as returns involving small businesses with employees or rental income.

— By Eric Tegethoff, Public News Service/Washington