Question: What is “low to moderate income” for purposes of qualifying for the free tax return preparation at the Hawaii Kai library (808ne.ws/25kline)?
Answer: That location is one of 17 Oahu sites in the AARP Foundation’s annual Tax-Aide program, during which trained volunteers prepare federal and state income tax returns for free for people with low to moderate incomes whose returns are not complicated. Tax-Aide doesn’t have a strict income cutoff.
“We don’t use any hard numbers because we don’t require you to prove your income before we start a return. The main qualification is that if you can’t afford to pay someone to do your taxes, our volunteers will help you. The bottom line is that if you can afford to do your own taxes or pay someone to do it, you shouldn’t stand in line to get your taxes done for free. You should give other people a chance at a shorter line,” Craig Gima, spokesman for AARP Hawaii, said in an email.
Moreover, he said, “some complicated returns are outside of the scope of the IRS software that we use, such as returns with complicated capital gains/losses, self- employment taxes if you have employees or expenses that exceed $25,000, rental income, specialized investment income, etc. Most of these kinds of returns would be from people with higher incomes who should probably seek professional help anyway in preparing their returns.”
Tax-Aide mainly is offered on a walk-in basis, as is the case at the Hawaii Kai library, where it is available Saturday mornings through April 4 (closed Feb. 15). For a list of all Oahu locations, see the earlier story (the link is in the question).
You also might consider using the IRS Free File tool, found online at 808ne.ws/freefile. Taxpayers with annual incomes of $69,000 or less can use free software to prepare and file their federal individual income tax returns.
Q: Please repeat the site for making an appointment on Oahu for driver’s license renewal, state ID, etc.
A: The direct link is alohaq.org.
Q: Is prefix 833 toll-free?
A: Yes. “Toll free numbers are numbers that begin with one of the following three-digit codes: 800, 888, 877, 866, 855, 844 or 833,” according to the Federal Communications Commission.
This means that telephone numbers with those codes can be dialed from landline phones with no charge to the person placing the call. Wireless callers would be charged for airtime minutes used unless they have an unlimited calling plan, the FCC said.
The codes are not interchangeable. “Dialing a number using a 1-800 prefix would reach a different recipient than dialing that number using a 1-888 prefix,” it says.
The 833 prefix is the newest, having become available in 2017.
Q: Can anyone get that new noncompliant state ID (808ne.ws/24kline)? I mean as a secondary form of identification.
A: No. “Per law, the noncompliant state ID is intended only for incapacitated individuals,” said Sheri Kajiwara, director of the city’s Department of Customer Services.
The applicant’s representative must present a doctor’s note verifying that the applicant is incapacitated and unable to appear in person. The ID that is issued will not comply with the U.S. Real ID Act.
Mahalo
Recently I blew out a tire on my trusty Prius. As I was scratching my head looking at the damage, two guys in a truck pulled up behind me. With great kindness and good humor, they changed the tire to my spare and put everything back neat and tidy in the trunk. I offered to buy them lunch, but they said no, “this comes from the heart.” From my heart to yours, John and Mike of Impact Painting, deepest aloha and mahalo. — Prius lady
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