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Tax season has begun, and while many scramble to get their documents together to file their taxes, Anythink Commerce City is offering free assistance every first and third Saturday until April, in partnership with Adams County Health Department and Tax Help Colorado.
The partnership began last year, and 77 different tax returns were filed for Adams County residents, with a total amount of refund around $200,000. Experts also answered questions for an additional 27 people who needed help in filing their taxes.
“It’s a valuable resource that’s free for our community and our patrons,” said Jacob Pacheco, Adult Services Librarian at Anythink Commerce City. “We’ve been able to join forces and create a resource that is extremely valuable.”
The Anythink tax preparation assistance, featuring IRS-certified preparers, is available to households who had incomes of $67,000 or less in 2024. Participants can also see if they are eligible for the Family Affordability Tax Credit, which offers a refundable credit up to $3,200 for children under six years old, and up to $2,400 for each child between six and 16.
The preparation sessions are offered in English, Spanish, Arabic and other languages.
“It’s important to offer language accessibility to be inclusive, to have a greater reach to meet people where they’re at and to allow the translation of those other languages to not be a barrier for (participants) in receiving the help that they need,” Pacheco said.
Pacheco said that the program is a way to save money and gain access to resources that perhaps are not available to folks.
“It’s saving them a couple hundred dollars that they would have to pay if they went to H&R Block or somewhere else that charges. This resource through Adams County is free. There’s no cost to them for getting their taxes filed by a certified tax preparer,” Pacheco said. “The other concern that I think patrons would have is maybe they don’t feel comfortable filing their own taxes or maybe they don’t have access to computers or the resources to file themselves.”
To ensure that the session goes smoothly when participants visit the library, Pacheco offers three tips.
“Show up early because it’s first come, first serve. This resource is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., which is a long period, but there are times when the list gets full,” Pacheco said. “The second thing I would say is to make sure that they have all of their documentation with them.”
Those documents would be:
- Photo identification
- Social Security cards or Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers
- W2s, 1099s or other federal forms showing income
- Bank information with an account number and bank routing number, if you opt for direct deposit of any refund
“One more tip I would say is, be patient with the tax preparers. They’re really here as a free resource and to help save money. They’re prepared to answer any tax-related questions,” Pacheco said.
For more information on Anythink Commerce City’s upcoming Tax Preparation session, click here.
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