It’s tax season again and University of Maryland Francis King School of Law students are on the move helping Marylanders demystify some of their toughest tax questions.
(L-R) Tax clinic student Cedar Bauer with a client (center) and Chris Heady, Howard County Public Library.
For the second year in a row, the Maryland Carey Law Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) has teamed up with libraries in Baltimore and Howard Counties to provide tax guidance on issues ranging from refund questions to earned income credit denial to tax identity theft.
Operating since 2011, the clinic’s student attorneys provide free, independent legal representation to low-income taxpayers in disputes with the IRS under the leadership of director Beverly Winstead, JD, clinical instructor.
On a recent blustery day in Columbia Md, tax clinic staff attorney Jessica Hutchinson, JD, and second year law student Cedar Bauer waited outside of the STEAM Machine, a 33-foot mobile classroom bus operated by the Howard County Library System for clients to arrive at the pop-up tax clinic.
Bauer, who is currently managing twelve clients in her clinic work, says she gets great satisfaction helping others. “I know how stressful it can be when you are low income, so if I can do a little bit to help them out, then I'm happy to do it. It’s always awesome to hear ‘I couldn’t have done this without you.’”
Hutchinson says the best advice she can give during tax season is don’t wait. “Don’t ignore the notices,” she says. “I recommend clients come see us when they first receive a notice from the IRS so we can better assist them,” she says.
“I understand that you might have real-life struggles going on, but this is something that we can definitely take off your plate,” she continued.
Forest Glen apartment resident Robin Brodkin had a tax question that’s been nagging her for a while. A family member did her taxes when she was ill a few years back and Brodkin’s not sure if her refund was correct, but didn’t know where to look. Bauer guided her to resources that will help her check her return.
“Our professors have shown us a lot of really great places to find stuff like a tax transcript, which tells you everything that's happened in that tax year that you submitted your tax returns, like balance owed or balance due to you,” says Bauer who directed Brodkin to the right forms on the IRS website and provided a contact at the Maryland Comptroller’s Office as well. “I find oftentimes people want to figure out how to do it themselves, so they don't have to keep asking for help,” Bauer explained.
“This was really helpful,” Brodkin beamed. “I just want to make sure everything was done right and is copacetic.”
Upcoming Tax Clinic locations:
March 11th 2-4pm Baltimore County Public Library Sollers Point Branch
April 1st 2-4pm Baltimore County Public Library Lansdowne Branch