The bad news is you still have to file.  Actually, there's more good news for seniors.

Time to go searching for all those forms, figuring out which schedules we need.  It's the annual rite of spring that makes us proud to be Americans. 

For seniors confused by all this, AARP has Taxaide.

"Our focus at AARP Taxaide is on low to middle income but I think one of the priorities that we have in the state of Hawaii is for people to get their state tax credits back.  Makes a big difference in many of our tax payers lives,” said Megan Morris of AARP Taxaide.

Exactly what state tax credits is Megan talking about?

"One is a General Excise Tax credit because we recognize that the G.E.T. is actually a regressive tax so the state will give people back who make fifty thousand and under a sliding scale credit.  And there's another low income renters credit which can be fifty to a hundred dollars credit,” said Morris.

In theory, our taxes should be easier to prepare as we age.  That's often not the case but help is available.

"W have over 250 certified by the IRS and all volunteer tax counselors to help them figure that out so we're very well trained.  We don't do particularly complex tax returns but we do pensions, we do Schedule D's, Schedule A's so we're there for people,” said Morris.

To make an appointment with a tax counselor, call# 888-AARP-NOW or go to AARP.ORG/TAXAIDE.

"And that's a better place to go because it gives you the hours, the locations, the addresses, which languages are spoken because we do have volunteers speaking Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Tagalog, you name it,” said Morris.

So, why is Megan Morris involved in Taxaide?

"When I retired to Hawaii 5 years ago, I needed something to keep my brain limber at least for four months of the year, so this is what I do,” she said.

And lots of seniors are glad she's there.