The start of the upcoming tax season is not too far away, which means many older Americans on a fixed income will need help preparing their returns.
In part three of our week-long look at New York state’s volunteer honorees, one of those honored by the New York State Office for the Aging for volunteer contributions is busy at work preparing to help seniors, free of charge.
Bill Hamlin, 75, of Wellsville is getting his training materials in order for the start of next month's tax prep class.
The former long-time state Department of Transportation engineer has been a volunteer with the Allegany County Office for the Aging's Tax Counseling for the Elderly for TCE Program for the last 10 years.
"The winters are still long around here,” Hamlin said. “[They] gave me a reason to get out around people. [I] always enjoyed working around people, meeting new people, and that gave me the opportunity to do that.”
In addition to training at home, Hamlin will also spend time at the county's office in Belmont brushing up on new tax laws, before starting to prepare client's returns in February.
There is no charge for seniors to have their return filled out and filed, as compared to a commercial tax service or private accountant which could add up to a lot of money.
"A hundred or two hundred dollars means a lot,” Hamlin said. “That could mean their weekly food budget for the week. So it's definitely a savings for them.”
Hamlin was one of 94 older Americans recognized during a virtual ceremony last month, one of only two volunteers out of Allegany County.
"Well, it's nice to be recognized for being a volunteer," Hamlin said.
State leaders honored Hamlin for his dedication to helping seniors make the process less taxing.
"So his role is really critical for those individuals because you have to file a tax return or you're in trouble,” New York State Office for the Aging Director Greg Olsen said. “And so not only is he an expert in this, but he trains others. And then he makes his time available to help people fill out and file their tax returns. It's really, really an important service.”
Hamlin says he hopes the recognition will set an example for his fellow seniors to follow.
"[I] appreciate them recognizing me and the other volunteers throughout the state that are doing it and overall there's a lot of hours that go into this and volunteering,” Hamlin said. “People just don't volunteer like they used to. And so I think it's nice to be recognized and maybe that'll encourage other people to come forward.”
Hamlin will work on seniors' tax returns through mid-April.
His nomination from the state came from his local Allegany County for the Aging office in Belmont.
In part four of our series, we'll meet the state's sole honoree from Cattaraugus County and hit the road to help feed those in need.