AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
It's a tumultuous time at the IRS, where thousands of workers have been laid off, and preparations are being made to cut up to half of the tax enforcement staff, and it's about to lose its third commissioner in as many months. Even so, April 15 is still April 15. This coming Tuesday is the deadline for most people to file their taxes. NPR's Scott Horsley visited a filing clinic for low-income families to hear what's on taxpayers' minds.
SCOTT HORSLEY, BYLINE: More than a hundred million people have already filed their taxes this year, so they're feeling pretty smug right now. But for millions of others, Tuesday's deadline is fast approaching. A lot of people will be spending time this weekend digging through a shoe box of receipts hunched over a computer or racing to an appointment at H&R Block. Grace Rhodes (ph) knows the feeling.
GRACE RHODES: I woke up this morning with a desire to file my taxes after falling asleep in a panic last night about how close it is to the deadline.
HORSLEY: Rhodes started working on her taxes a couple of months ago but got stuck and gave up. So she's come to this free tax prep clinic at George Washington University here in D.C. There's help-yourself coffee and snacks on a table and 10 computer workstations staffed by volunteers like Sophia Johnson (ph).
SOPHIA JOHNSON: When we got your W-2 in. We put your student loan interest in. You're not going to be able to take the itemized deduction because you won't have enough.
HORSLEY: It turns out Rhodes owes the federal government about $300, but she's got a nice refund coming from D.C. thanks to a renter's credit that Johnson pointed out. Rhodes is grateful for the help.
RHODES: I think taxes are kind of overwhelming for people because of how many forms you have to pull together and all of the questions and - I mean, like, I didn't even know about the D.C. renter's credit. Just to have somebody share that information to make that accessible for people who might not be able to afford an accountant.
HORSLEY: Another client at the clinic, Lebetra Chambers (ph), used TurboTax last year. But between state and federal returns, it cost more than a hundred dollars, and Chambers, who was briefly furloughed from her nonprofit job this spring as a result of federal spending cuts, is looking to save money.
LEBETRA CHAMBERS: My funds are low, so I wanted to come to one of the free tax sites. And you put it off for as long as you can, but it's like, no, I need to actually do my taxes now.
HORSLEY: She's getting a refund of about $1,500. Accounting professor William Stromsem, who runs this free clinic, says it's a valuable service for clients whose family income is often around $20,000 a year.
WILLIAM STROMSEM: If you're a low-income person and you get a tax credit of 4 or $5,000, that makes a difference in where you set your thermostat in the winter. That makes a difference in clothing and food and things like that for families.
HORSLEY: Across the country, there are some 9,000 volunteer clinics like this one. They serve more than 2 1/2 million taxpayers each year, and their returns have an accuracy rate of more than 97%. The clinic at GW is mostly staffed by college students who first have to complete a training course and pass several exams. Ethan Ophir, who's studying for a master's degree in accounting, has volunteered at this clinic for the last three years.
ETHAN OPHIR: The tax system can definitely be really intimidating. So I think just being a smiling and helpful face. And I think, really kind of breaking down, these are the deductions, these are the credits, this is kind of how it all flows, really, I think, alleviates some of the stress for them.
HORSLEY: Ophir, who is set to graduate this spring, was often asked about his clinic experience while interviewing for accounting jobs. Another student, Cali Guastella (ph), enjoys hearing the stories of people who come in for help with their taxes. She says working at the clinic has helped to demystify the tax filing process.
CALI GUASTELLA: I definitely feel more comfortable doing it on my own now, and I can, like, help my friends. Like, I've had my friends come in here.
HORSLEY: Every year, the clinic gets a rush of business as the tax filing deadline approaches. Guastella sympathizes with those who put off filing till the last minute.
GUASTELLA: Actually, I haven't done mine yet this year, but I'm planning on doing it.
HORSLEY: She's got a few more days, and thanks to her clinic experience, she knows what she's doing.
Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.
(SOUNDBITE OF SHOOK'S "WIND ON THE WATER") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
