Volunteers are needed to provide free tax preparation assistance during the  tax season through the American Association of Retired Persons Tax-Aide program and the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.

VITA provides low- to moderate-income Flathead Valley residents with free tax preparation and assistance from volunteers certified by the Internal Revenue Service. 

Volunteers can choose their schedule and positions. Applications are currently being accepted for tax preparers, intake specialists and site coordinators.

IRS-certified volunteers get free training, gain experience and confidence for future employment, get information to help with their own tax returns, help Flathead Valley families save money and help bring thousands of dollars back to Flathead County.

Sponsors of the program include the local United Way, Flathead Valley Community College and Community Action Partnership of Northwest Montana.

The United Way is providing space and materials for the tax assistance programs. One of the national initiatives of United Way is the Financial Stability Partnership, an initiative that promotes community-change strategies to help families meet their basic needs. 

Helping with tax preparation is one way of helping local families achieve financial stability.

A total of 1,433 people received free tax services through the programs during the 2013 tax season.

Those taxpayers will receive a total of $1,040,919 in federal and state tax refunds.

Since 1968, AARP Tax-Aide volunteers have provided tax preparation assistance to nearly 50 million low- and middle-income Americans.

For more information on free tax preparation assistance, visit montanafreefile.org.

To volunteer, call Dreux Patch at 752-6565.