skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

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.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

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.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

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.

Tax Aide Volunteers Help Oregonians Get Back $56 Million in Returns

play audio
Play

Thursday, June 23, 2016   

PORTLAND, Ore. - Tax aide volunteers helped Oregonians get back nearly $56 million in returns this year. That's according to AARP, which provided volunteers and resources to help more than 87,000 seniors and people with low incomes file their taxes. Bob Bruce, Oregon state coordinator for AARP's tax aide program, said the program helped a lot of people. But he thinks even more could be served in the future.

"Our sense is, believe it or not, that we are just scratching the surface in helping people," he said.

Bruce said the tax aide program had about 1,300 volunteers this year. He said filing for taxes has become more difficult in recent years and that volunteers are there for people who aren't able to pay for professional tax preparation.

Bruce said a vital part of returns this year was the Earned Income Tax Credit, which helps low-income families pay for basic needs. This year, Oregon lawmakers
passed a bill expanding that tax credit. He said although many families did know about it, the tax credit provided a large chunk of the $56 million volunteers helped return.

"Fifteen million of that was earned income tax credits, credits for which many of these folks don't even know that they qualified for, and had they done them on their own, they may not have claimed those credits."

Bruce said the tax aide program is also playing a crucial role in stimulating the state's economy by helping so many people put money back in their pockets.

"We're kind of an unrecognized economic development program," he added. "And it costs the state of Oregon absolutely nothing for this service because all of the tax preparation work is provided free of charge."


get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021