COEUR d'ALENE - Around 100 new and returning volunteers have gathered to help taxpayers remove the stress from preparing their tax returns.

From Feb. 2 to April 15, the AARP Tax-Aide program will offer free tax preparation to low- to moderate-income taxpayers with an emphasis on senior citizens. Taxpayers do not need to be a member of AARP to use the service.

Warren Fisher, a program volunteer, has been volunteering since 1996. He has been training volunteers for more than 10 years.

"Training is almost over," Fisher said. "We did training for the first two weeks of January for our new volunteers."

Fisher said the volunteers have a couple more evening training classes this week and one more "fire hose" class left on Saturday. It's called the fire hose class because it covers all the training covered in two weeks - in three days.

"So you get it fast and furious," he said.

Before the volunteers can start preparing tax returns, they are required to pass an IRS certification exam. New volunteers are required to pass an ethics and conduct exam. Returning volunteers this year are required to pass an exam relating to federal Health Savings Accounts.

In the past, the training used to focus on tax law, but Fisher said it is impossible to learn the full complexities of tax. So this year, he said, they tried a new technique called TaxWise Immersion, where the volunteers learn by doing problems. Each problem addressed a portion of the tax law.

"We ended up dealing with the income documents, how they are used, the software and the tax law implications while we were actually doing the problems," Fisher said. "And I think it worked very well for us."

Jeri Hughes, who has been a volunteer for four years, said she noticed there was a free tax preparation program when she moved to North Idaho from California. The next year, she came with her brother to have his taxes prepared.

"I was so impressed with the volunteers, the program," she said. "I asked 'can you use some additional help for the next year?' so I can sign up."

Hughes said she enjoys interacting with the clients and helping them get the best and most accurate return. She said it's very rewarding.

"We can always use more volunteers. Anyone else out there with the desire to come in and help and to pay back to the community," she said. "I think this is a very tremendous opportunity."

Bob Bossi, local coordinator for the Lake City Center site, has also been a volunteer for four years.

"The people we get to deal with are just a lot of fun. Really great people," Bossi said.

Bossi said volunteering with the program runs in the family. His brother-in-law and some others close to him are also involved in the program.

"We have the best volunteers in the world," Fisher said. "The people who come to do this have to have a certain mindset, that they want to help people. And working with a bunch of volunteers that have that mindset is just rewarding."

In 2014, the volunteers prepared more than 5,000 tax returns and they expect to do more than that this year. Fisher said it's a huge weight off taxpayers' shoulders to have someone who can help them complete their return.

New to the 2014 tax returns is information on the Affordable Care Act. Fisher said it's part of everyone's tax return this year, on whether or not a taxpayer has health insurance. Either taxpayers will have an exemption for having health insurance and will receive a credit, or they will have to pay a fee for not having coverage. He said the payment for not having insurance depends on the percentage of a taxpayer's household income. Each year a taxpayer does not have coverage, the payment will increase.

"Everybody out there needs to end up probably getting some help with how their return is being affected by the Affordable Care Act," he said.

Taxpayers need to bring their Social Security cards for all members on the tax return including dependents, picture ID for the taxpayer and/or spouse, their 2013 income tax return and all their 2014 income tax documents.

Walk-in tax preparation is available at the Silver Lake Mall Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday.

Appointments can be scheduled at several other locations throughout Kootenai County. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, appointments can be scheduled at Lake City Center by calling (208) 667-4628. The Post Falls Senior Center can be contacted at (208) 773-9582 and hosts appointments Tuesday and Thursday. The Rathdrum Senior Center can be contacted at (208) 687-2028 and appointments can be scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday.

Monday appointments can be scheduled at the Athol Community Center at (208) 683-2407. Residents that are not able to leave their homes can call (208) 667-4628 or (208) 687-2028 to schedule an appointment.

Information: (208) 446-6997.