Southwest community college hosts free tax help

Free tax preparation will be offered by Internal Revenue Service-certified students and volunteers from Southwest Colorado Community College and Fort Lewis College to households with incomes less than $53,000.

Southwest Colorado Community College is offering free tax preparation to anyone with a household income below $53,000.

Thirty Internal Revenue Service-certified students and volunteers from SCCC and Fort Lewis College will provide free, confidential tax preparation. No appointment is necessary.

Last year, more than a half a million dollars in refunds were secured, and more than 300 clients used the free service hosted by the college in partnership with the Piton Foundation, a private foundation based in Denver.

The college’s Tax Help Colorado Mancos site will be open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays, Feb. 6, 20, 27 and March 6, in Room 104 at the Southwest Colorado Community College’s West Campus in Mancos.

The Durango site will be open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., every Saturday, through March 7. The site will also be open 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 10; 5 to 9 p.m. Feb. 16; and 5 to 9 p.m. Feb. 24 in Room 201 at the Southwest Colorado Community College’s East Campus.

Clients must bring the following to the tax site:

Photo identification.

Social Security cards or Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers, for every person on the return.

A copy of your 2013 tax return, if possible.

All W-2s, Form 1099s, interest statements, dividend statements, and all other income-related documents.

Proof of mortgage interest, property taxes, day care payments, college education expenses, charitable contributions and all other tax-deductible expenses.

For college expenses, clients should bring their Form 1098-T from their college along with records of expenses paid for tuition, books, fees and supplies.

Form 1095-A, 1095-B or 1095-C Affordable Health Care Statements if you or any member of your household received tax credits to pay for health insurance.

Bank account and routing numbers if you plan to get your available tax refund electronically deposited into your bank account.

For more information, contact Site Coordinator Kathy Elliot at Kathy.taxhelp@yahoo.com or 749-2838.