It's beginning to look a lot like...tax season?

Even though it's only September, tax season is already upon us. Like you, I used to think tax season lasted from January to April. (And some of you might just think tax season begins and ends with April 15th.) No no. When you're a Community Trainer with the Ohio Benefit Bank, tax season preparations begin months before the first W-2s are mailed out. Now is the time for us to get certified to do tax trainings--which is why all 5 of us Community Trainers from the Southwest region observed Meredith's tax class in Cincinnati today. And I was a little nervous about that.

Before today, I hadn't had too much experience with taxes. My parents have claimed me as a dependent all my life, and have generally had their accountant go ahead and file my taxes. I think there were a couple of years that my dad had me fill my own forms out, but I was just going through the motions; I had no real understanding of the numbers I was writing on the lines. So you can imagine my anxiety over the thought of helping people file their taxes, let alone equipping counselors to do the same.

And when it comes to taxes, I'm not alone in my anxiety. I'm not sure what it is--maybe the idea of working so closely with a person's finances or an innate fear of the IRS, but people get really freaked out about doing someone's taxes, including their own! But as I discovered today, there really is nothing to be afraid of, especially when you use the OBB to file your taxes.

We went through the entire training along with the other 6 people attending the class. Even after going through the manuals and both practice scenarios, I certainly can't claim to know everything about taxes. But that's okay! The OBB was designed to serve as the expert in completing forms, making calculations, and screening clients' eligibility for various tax credits.

I am glad to have had the chance to work with the program and I feel much more confident about counseling clients in filing their taxes. Now I just need more practice in training counselors and I'll be set!

And remember: If your household makes under $56,000 a year (and you live in Ohio), you can file your federal, state, and local taxes for free with the OBB! Check out the website (www.obb.ohio.gov) for more information or let me know how I can help find a tax site near you. You can even use the OBB to file back taxes from up to three years ago. So tuck that away for the end of January when your W-2s and 1099s arrive!