Hotline to offer free tax help
There are no stupid questions when it comes to your taxes, says Barbara Bel, a tax partner at White Plains-based Eisman, Zucker, Klein & Ruttenberg L.L.P.
As president of the Westchester chapter of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA), which in partnership with the Westchester County Business Journal, is providing complimentary tax assistance through a Feb. 20 tax hotline event.
“We are sponsoring this because we feel this is a great service,” said Dee DelBello, publisher of the Westchester County Business Journal, the media sponsor for the Westchester tax hotline. “We wanted to join the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants in helping people and helping our readers that may have some questions and don”™t know where to turn.”
The tax hotline began 15 years ago, Bel said, and acts as a community-service arm of the accounting association.
“A big part of what we do is get our name out there in the community,” she said. “For instance, last week we had a seminar on college planning and we sent free invitations to all the middle schools and high schools to attend. Families, couples and single parents came to see how to pay for college and how to position their child to be a good candidate for a particular college.”
The tax hotline initiative “comes for us at a very difficult time in the middle of tax season,” Bel said, but serves an unquestionably useful purpose.
“Our CPAs take time out of their day to field calls from the community,” she said. “These may be questions they have been too embarrassed to ask anyone else and many of the people are filing tax returns themselves and are asking for assistance.”
Most calls tend to be in reference to 1040s, she said.
However, the tax hotline volunteers do field calls for business-related tax inquiries.
“We are forever grateful to the Westchester County Business Journal for setting up the phone situation and for co-sponsoring this program,” Bel said.
The tax hotline runs once per year and is specific to NYSSCPA Chapter region.
The Westchester chapter tax hotline will take place in increments on Feb. 20; they are 9 to 11 a.m., 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1 to 3 p.m.
To reach the certified public accountants on tax hotline day, call (914) 358-0754.