Last year, the local AARP Tax-Aide program and local volunteers provided free federal and state tax return counseling and preparation for nearly 2000 Moore County residents.

The 2009 federal and state tax returns were filed electronically to ensure prompt processing and rapid payment of any refunds.

The AARP Tax-Aide program is the nation's largest free, volunteer-run tax counseling and preparation service. This year the program expects to significantly increase the number of customers assisted in Moore County.

To do this, additional volunteers of all ages and backgrounds are needed to assist with one-on-one counseling and tax return preparation as tax preparation counselors as well as volunteers to serve as site facilitators.

Tax preparation counselors will be comprehensively trained and required to pass a competency test to become IRS certified as a tax counselor. Volunteer training will be conducted in the Pinehurst area in January.

Volunteers who become IRS certified are asked to make a target commitment of two each, four-hour sessions per week during the 10-week filing season from Feb. 1 to April 15.

To volunteer or for more information about becoming a local AARP Tax-Aide volunteer, contact the local AARP Tax-Aide coordinator, Bill Roberson, at (910) 673-1452.

AARP Tax-Aide is administered through the AARP Foundation in cooperation with the Internal Revenue Service. The AARP foundation is an AARP affiliated, tax-exempt nonpartisan charitable organization.

Residents are not required to be a member of AARP to work in this program.