IRS offers free help on rare "Super Saturday"

Every year, the Internal Revenue Service struggles to reach people who don't know they qualify for thousands of dollars in tax benefits.

Now -- with $168 billion in economic stimulus checks waiting to be delivered -- the stakes are even higher.

This weekend, IRS offices in California and throughout the country will pull out all the stops to offer free tax services to millions of Americans who are eligible for the stimulus payment.

Dubbed "Super Saturday," the outreach effort involves about 320 IRS offices and is aimed at those who don't normally file a tax return, including retirees, veterans and low-income workers.

Under the government's rules, people must file a tax return this spring to receive an economic stimulus payment that can range from a minimum of $300 for an individual to $600 for married couples, with extra cash for those with dependents.

"We want to make sure that everyone is aware they can get this money," said Jesse Weller, an IRS spokesman. "For people who are on a fixed income or who are low income, they are the ones who most need the help. And we are providing that help on Saturday."

Although the IRS has opened its offices in the past to give free tax assistance, Saturday's event is a first.

"To have a special day on Saturday is unprecedented," Weller said. "We have hundreds of partner groups around the country who will also be assisting."

Joining the outreach effort will be several nonprofit agencies and volunteers who say the extra income will be welcome in the San Joaquin Valley, a region with some of the highest concentrations of poverty in the nation.

"We are in an economic decline, and for some people this money is huge," said Art Enns, vice president of resource development for the United Way of Fresno County. "What we want people to know is that all it takes is a few minutes to fill out their form."

Weller said the IRS sent 1.9 million letters to people in California who did not file tax returns in 2006 but who were still eligible for the stimulus payment, such as those who receive Social Security or veterans' benefits as their main income.

Included in the letter was a copy of the form needed to claim the payment, highlighting what information is needed.

At Central California Legal Services in Fresno, employees have been working for years to teach people about the Earned Income Tax Credit, a federal program that provides qualifying low-income families up to $4,700.

Manuel Romero, special projects coordinator for legal services, said it has been hard going to spread the word. Legal Services staff members and volunteers have gone door to door and used the airwaves of ethnic radio stations and mainstream media to educate people about the tax credit and, now, the stimulus check.

Among the groups that have been reluctant to file for the tax credits are non-English speakers or those with a distrust of government agencies.

"But when the community trusts the source of information, it goes a long way to bringing people in here," Romero said.

Agency staff member Yenny Aguilar said the message about the stimulus check has resonated in some communities.

Aguilar estimates she will help about 100 senior citizens in Orange Cove, Calif., and a vast majority of them will file returns in order to qualify for the stimulus check.

"They've heard about it," Aguilar said. "And they need the money."

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IRS officials recommend that taxpayers bring the following information:

-- Picture ID/identification document.

-- Social Security number verification for the filer and, if applicable, for the spouse and qualifying children. This can be a Social Security card or a letter/notice from Social Security or Veterans Affairs reflecting the Social Security number.

-- Form 1099 from Social Security or Railroad Retirement Tier I benefits and/or a monthly benefits statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs. If a 1099 is not available, a monthly statement and/or the amount of monthly benefits will suffice.

-- Proof of any other income, taxable or nontaxable, such as Forms W-2 or 1099.

-- Bank routing and account numbers if you want to choose direct deposit for your stimulus payment. (Direct deposit will speed up the receipt of your economic stimulus payment.)

E-mail Robert Rodriguez at brodriguez(at)fresnobee.com.

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)