United Way Executive Director Sandra Juni and Program Coordinator Jim Springer pour over the tax preparation guide used for the United Way free tax preparation service. The program follows the Volunteer Income Tax and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (VITATCE) format created by the IRS.

NEW ULM — The yearly tax season is once again on the horizon.

This year tax season opens Jan. 29, with the IRS officially accepting tax returns. From then until April 15 the tax submission window will be open. H&R Block Senior Tax Analyst Kelly Dalton said if an extension is needed, it needs to be filed on or before April 15.

Dalton said people should begin the tax process as soon as they have all of their tax documents ready. Though this is the ideal response, she said people come in throughout the tax window.

“We see a large increase in client volume beginning the last week in January,” Dalton said. “This continues until the filing deadline.”

The biggest issue Dalton said she has seen in her 23 years of experience is people not having all of their documents prepared ahead of time. Double-checking to ensure everything is in order can help prevent this problem.

“If a person has multiple jobs throughout the year, keep a list of those employers,” Dalton said. “They can make sure they have all of their W2s when they file.”

For those looking for free help with their taxes, United Way Brown County is continuing its free tax preparation program. The program has been around for 25 years, with United Way coordinating it in the last 15. Program Coordinator Jim Springer said it has grown greatly.

“When it started, everything was done by paper and pencil,” he said. “Normally they did around 100 tax returns or so when it first started. Last year we did approximately 650 returns, so we’ve grown that much in the last few years.”

On average those taxpayers received an average return of $612 and Springer said they had a 97.7% accuracy rate on taxes filed with them. United Way Executive Director Sandra Juni said having this high of an accuracy rating is a feather in the program’s cap.

Springer said currently there is no income limit, and while the program was originally geared toward the elderly there are no age restrictions. He said there are certain types of taxes they cannot do.

“Farm income, any rent income with expenses,” he said. “Someone might rent out their home, and maybe they’re only renting part of it. We do not split up any of the expenses on a home. We don’t do out-of-state income tax. You must be a full-time resident of Minnesota.”

Springer said participants must bring in their photo ID, social security cards of them, their spouse, and any dependents, and a copy of last year’s taxes on top of their current tax information. If you do your taxes with the program, they can help do your property taxes as well.

Juni said the program has been a great help to the people of New Ulm. For many people, tax time can be a time of confusion and anxiety. Juni said the program has had a positive impact on this issue through education and guidance.

“Mary Kay, who helps Jim with the planning and execution, said there have been more and more younger people coming in,” Juni said. “Kay said a lot of it is they’re afraid to do it. It becomes an opportunity for a little teaching at the same time. It’s building confidence and the financial savvy [so they can] do it themselves.”

Springer said he has seen the stigma of taxes and the IRS affect many throughout his 10 years with the program. He said people should look to avoid putting too much stress and concern on their taxes.

“It’s not like the IRS is going to bite them or anything,” Springer said. “I think a lot of people are just afraid of taxes and the IRS. They’ve got the old mentality of ‘Oh the IRS is going to audit me and they’re going to throw me in jail.’ Normally, if the IRS is going to question anything, they’re going to send you a letter just asking for an explanation or proof.”

Though tax season doesn’t start until Jan. 29, United Way started taking calls this week for appointments. The program is open by appointment only from Feb. 6 to April 11 Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. at the New Ulm Public Library.

To schedule an appointment, call 507-276-3186.