Marrickville Council Library will host Tax Help sessions for lower income earners during July through to the end of October.

Tax Help is a network of community volunteers who provide a free and confidential service to help people complete their tax returns at tax time. Volunteers are from within the community who are not Tax Office staff, but receive training and support from the Tax Office.

Every year over 12 million Australians should lodge an individual Tax Return. Tax Help volunteers help over 58,000 of these people meet their personal tax obligations.

The Tax Help volunteer program started in 1988 and a significant number of Tax Help volunteers have been a part of the program since its inception. They work from over 830 locations throughout Australia in both metropolitan and country areas.

Volunteers come from many different cultural backgrounds and cater for clients speaking a range of different languages.

The Marrickville Library Tax Help sessions will be run in English and community languages, and will be held weekly for four months:

Wednesdays: 10am-2pm, English and Mandarin

“I urge eligible residents to take advantage of this valuable service,” said the Mayor of Marrickville Councillor Morris Hanna.

“This is just one of number of ways Marrickville Library Services assists our citizens in their day-to-day life. Marrickville Library hosts English Conversation Classes, HSC seminars, Family History Research Group, Homework Help, Writing Workshops, Book Clubs, Author Talks, and computer, internet, email and social media support sessions,” he said.

“Council is committed to ensuring our local libraries are important community centres which are high quality and well resourced.”

The Tax Help program caters for people on incomes of about $50,000 or less, and with basic individual tax returns. The Tax Help session are not for anyone who may have more complex tax affairs such as income from business, investment properties, rent, voluntary agreement or royalties.

A complete check list of eligibility criteria is supplied to all Tax Help centres and volunteers. A taxpayer can also check their eligibility by contacting the ATO on 132 861.