A perfect way to spend that magical holiday break: become a volunteer tax preparer

The week that falls between Christmas and the New Year is magical! When we are young it’s special because of winter break from school and the opportunity for outdoor fun with friends.  As we grow older, we relish the opportunity this week creates to slow down, renew relationships, and reflect on what has hopefully been another year well lived.

Last holiday season this week brought some new “magic” my way. I spent a good part of the week preparing to be a volunteer tax reviewer at Prepare + Prosper, a nonprofit that provides free tax preparation and financial services. Of course, for most people, even thinking about taxes before the Twins get back from Spring Training in late March is outside the realm of possibility. Yet there was indeed something magical about my week last year.

Learning new aspects of the tax rules was endlessly fascinating. Even after a career in corporate tax that continues today with my teaching of college students I am still fascinated by the continual intersection of tax law with daily life events. More importantly, learning new aspects of the tax rules to help others in my community was a great opportunity to share my time and talent.

What I enjoy most about volunteering at Prepare + Prosper is the teamwork displayed by the staff and volunteers. I am inspired to work alongside colleagues who share my deep passion for helping others. I also love hearing the stories about how customers plan to use their tax refund. Throughout the tax season, I heard from customers that they would spend their refund fixing cars, paying for child care to enable more work, starting a retirement fund, or paying for college textbooks.

I am already looking forward to another “magical” last week of 2017. Yep, us volunteers have to be re-certified each year! I do hope you consider joining Prepare + Prosper in one of the many volunteer roles available. There are also volunteer positions that do not require tax knowledge.

Interested? Attend an upcoming info session through December by going to www.prepareandprosper.org or call 651-262-2163 to sign up.

Make this another year well lived! Spend your magical week with me and other volunteers getting ready for a great tax season.