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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

California Ranks 11th in Best Tax Help States

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Friday, March 27, 2015   

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California is one of the best states for finding someone to do your taxes, according to a new report that ranks states based on accessibility, affordability and effectiveness of tax help.

While the WalletHub report found that 66 percent of Californians pay for the service, there also are programs that do it free of charge.

"Most of our clients are retired people, but we get a bunch of young ones," said Hector Chao, a volunteer tax preparer for AARP's Tax-Aide program that provides the free service for those with low to moderate incomes. "Sometimes they are relatives of these retired people who tell them, 'Come to AARP, it's for free.' So, the price is good."

Last year in California, nearly 3,000 Tax-Aide volunteers helped nearly 188,000 people file their federal, state and local tax returns. The program is offered at hundreds of sites throughout the state, including senior centers, libraries and other locations.

Preparation of tax returns under the Affordable Care Act rules require additional documentation from taxpayers this year. Chao said volunteers are Internal Revenue Service-certified each year to make sure they know the latest tax rules.

"Every January, we have a couple of weeks of training," he said, "and it's mostly doing problems to get our brains back into gear."

Chao, who is retired, said he enjoys helping others.

"I think it's a good thing to do things for the community," he said. "I do other things as well, but this is the one which is the most important."

You don't need to be a member of AARP or a retiree to use the free service. Tax-Aide sites can be found online at aarp.org or by calling 1-888-AARP-NOW (1-888-227-7669).


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