Contact: Traci Pondick
tpondick@etowahcounty.org
PRESS RELEASE:
TAX VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
RSVP (Retired & Senior Volunteer Program) of Etowah and Cherokee County has offered free
income tax preparation and filing for over 30 years. We appreciate being able to provide this
service to our community, and our volunteers truly enjoy preparing taxes for their clients.
However, we are at a point where we need some new tax volunteers – and this is the perfect
time for you to give it a try!
There will be a training class offered in January, and we will begin operations on January 27, 2025 through April 15, 2025, at 10 convenient locations. Our locations are in Attalla, Centre,
Gadsden, Glencoe, Hokes Bluff, Rainbow City, Sardis City, Walnut Grove, and Ft. Payne.
Volunteers must attend the training and pass a certification test before preparing taxes – but it is an open-book test. We ask that volunteers work at least one day per week during tax season.
One of the perks of this volunteer opportunity is that while it may be demanding for a few
weeks, it is only for a few weeks and then it’s over until next year! If you’re not quite sure
about actually preparing taxes, we also need greeters at a couple of locations. Greeters also
need to attend training and pass a Standards of Conduct test, but they are not required to know
tax law. This is a good way to “stick your toes in the water” and get a better idea if this is the
right volunteer opportunity for you.
RSVP provides this service specifically to low-income and senior citizens, but there is no age or
income limit. The main benchmark for our service is the difficulty of your return. Volunteers
cannot prepare a Schedule C with loss or depreciation, complicated Schedule D’s, etc.
If you are interested, contact us at 256-549-8147, tpondick@etowahcounty.org or visit our
office in the Etowah County Courthouse, Room 221 for more information.
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This service is provided by the Etowah County Commission and with grants through the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) and AmeriCorps. RSVP is a federal program charged with leading efforts
to expand the use of service and volunteering as key solutions that respond to our nation’s
most pressing challenges. Our mission is to improve lives, strengthen communities and foster
civic engagement, through service and volunteering.