AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteers in Brainerd will prepare income tax, renter’s property tax refund and homestead credit refund forms free of charge to anyone with a special focus on taxpayers who are 50 or older or who have low to moderate income.
Appointments and masks are required. Call the Brainerd Public Library at 218-829-5574 and ask for a tax appointment. At the first appointment, tax documents will be scanned to secure cloud storage so volunteers working from home can prepare the forms. An implied second appointment one week later at the same time of day will be to review the forms and authorize e-filing.
Before the first appointment, people will need to pick up and complete an intake packet at Westgate Mall. The intake packet contains more detailed instructions, forms and worksheets. For those with appointments before Feb. 18, a limited number of intake packets will be available on the west wall across from the Christopher & Banks store until Friday, Feb. 12.
After that date, intake packets will be available at the old Vanity store from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays to Fridays.
Income tax returns for tax years 2017-20 as well as renter’s property tax refunds and homestead credit refunds for tax years 2019-20 can be filed. For the 2020 property tax refund, a 2021 property tax statement is needed, available in late March.
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Those who had 2019 income tax returns prepared last year at one of the Brainerd Tax-Aide sites and are filing for last year’s homestead credit refund will need a 2020 property tax statement, 2020 income tax return, completed intake packet Form 14446, Minnesota homestead credit refund parts 1-3 worksheets and a driver’s license.
Within certain income limits, Tax-Aide will offer taxpayers with free access to software to prepare taxes on their own, or taxpayers may request assistance from a volunteer to coach them through the process via phone or computer screen-sharing. This service is expected to start in early February. Visit aarpfoundation.org/taxaide and aarpfoundation.org/taxhelp for more information.
