(Ventura, Calif.) – The Ventura County Area Agency on Aging and the AARP Foundation are partnering to offer tax preparation services to residents of Ventura County. This service is free and available to anyone of low to moderate income, and may be especially suited to those 50 and older. Services are available beginning February 4.

To receive services, individuals must bring all necessary documentation, including applicable Social Security cards, a photo ID, a copy of 2017 tax returns, and 2018 documents showing income from all sources including wages, Social Security, interest, dividends, investments, self-employment and pensions. For individuals that itemize deductions, please provide total figures for each category of deduction, including medical, charitable contributions, property tax, and mortgage interest. Any individual that received a health insurance statement (Form 1095-A, 1095-B or 1095-C), is asked to also bring the required documentation. Volunteers are unable to prepare returns for married taxpayers who file separate returns, or for taxpayers with rental property income. Volunteers are also unable to prepare out-of-state tax returns.

AARP representatives will be available on Mondays and Wednesdays from 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. through April 16 at the VCAAA offices located at 646 County Square Drive in Ventura. No appointment is necessary, and participants are not required to be AARP members. This location is accessible to individuals with disabilities.

The AARP Foundation operates the AARP Tax-Aide program under a cooperative agreement with the IRS. To help you complete your tax forms, AARP’s trained and IRS-certified volunteers will see personal information that you give them about you and your finances. This information is strictly confidential. We will not share your information with anyone except as necessary to accurately file your tax returns or as otherwise required by law. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide has more than 5,000 locations in neighborhood libraries, malls, banks, community centers and senior centers. There’s no fee and no sales pitch for other services and AARP membership is not required.

The Ventura County Area Agency on Aging, an agency of the County of Ventura, is the principal agency in Ventura County charged with the responsibility to promote the development and implementation of a comprehensive coordinated system of care that enables older individuals, people with disabilities, and their caregivers to live in a community-based setting and to advocate for the needs of those 60 years of age and older in the county, providing leadership and promoting citizen involvement in the planning process as well as in the delivery of services.