All About Taxes!

Tax time can be the most dreadful time of year — I mean, who likes to sit down and prepare their taxes? It can be a complex and time-consuming process, and most of us worry that when we are done, we are going to owe Uncle Sam!

But does it have to be as bad as we make it out to be? Since reports indicate that we often make errors when preparing our own tax returns, consider taking advantage of tax-preparation services within our community.

Through the IRS’ Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program, AARP offers the Tax-Aide counseling program. Trained and certified volunteer counselors help people of low- to middle-income households, with special attention to those aged 60 and older. For more information on TCE, call 1-800-829-1040. To locate the nearest AARP Tax-Aide site, call 1-888-227-7669 or visit AARP's Web site.

In addition, the Ohio Benefit Bank provides tax assistance to Ohioans with low to moderate incomes. This free program is designed to help individuals and families electronically file their taxes and claim any credits. By having taxes prepared through Benefit Bank, taxpayers also can determine their eligibility for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and work supports such as health care coverage, home energy assistance, child-care subsidies, etc. For more information on Benefit Bank tax assistance, you can visit them online at www.obb.ohio.gov or call them at 1-800-648-1176. If you want to tackle your taxes yourself, you can do so by visiting the Internal Revenue Service Web site.

So now that you have been given this information, you can end all of your tax-preparations. Good luck and happy taxing!

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Shawne Buckner

Board Member

WENDCO Westside Neighborhood Development Corporation

As an outreach specialist, I am responsible for developing a consumer education program, giving public presentations and mediating consumer complaints against businesses regarding the purchase of goods or services. Many of these complaints involve foreign lottery scams, predatory mortgage lending, unauthorized charges on credit cards, mail order and telephone sales, motor vehicle repairs, Internet scams and prize offers. I am member of the Summit County Foreclosure Prevention Partnership Program and Tuff Stuff Committee and a board member of Westside Neighborhood Development Corporation of Akron, where I help to provide leadership in the area of housing and commercial revitalization.

I began my career in consumer protection and education in November 2006; prior to that I worked in the banking/mortgage industry for over 10 years. Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, I graduated from Ellet High School and went on to pursue an education in criminal justice at The University of Akron.

If I had to pick one thing that I love about my job, I would choose the public speaking events that I give to senior citizens. My goal is to educate as many senior citizens as possible about ways to protect themselves from becoming a victim of crime. My speeches to senior groups range from medical health claim scams, free credit reports, work-at-home schemes and home improvement scams, to protecting themselves from purse snatchings, robberies and burglaries.