IRS Needs Volunteers To Give Tax Help To Low Income, Elderly & Disabled In Mass.

BOSTON (AP) — The Internal Revenue Service is looking for volunteers to provide free basic income tax return preparation to low-income, elderly and disabled Massachusetts residents.

Volunteers in the IRS' Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program will ensure taxpayers earning $50,000 or less don't overlook special credits such as the earned income tax credit, child tax credit, and credit for the elderly or the disabled.

Those volunteering for the Tax Counseling for the Elderly will offer free tax help for everyone, but their main focus is people over 60. The volunteers specialize in questions about pensions and retirement issues unique to seniors.

Volunteers are trained and certified by the IRS.

The IRS says anyone can volunteer. Those fluent in foreign languages can help non-English speakers with their returns.

Last year, nearly 1,780 volunteers prepared about 55,700 tax returns in Massachusetts.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.