Debriefing

I just spent the last two months with a bunch of nerds. This was my second year as a volunteer tax preparer for AARP, in Bowling Green, Ohio. If I wasn’t a nerd when I signed up, I certainly am one now. Just kidding, I’ve been a nerd all along.

I’ve jotted down some comments from clients as well as some things that made a mark on my memory from the season. 

1. In preparation for the phasing out of refund checks in the mail next year, the IRS has made receiving one this year a pain in the butt. Many of my fellow boomers insist on receiving a refund check in the mail. We explained that the IRS would send a letter asking them to register online in order to provide banking information. If they still insisted on a check, the IRS would sit on their money for another 30 days before beginning to process it. Now we are receiving calls from the folks we warned, asking us what this letter is all about. 
2. Several clients insisted their Social Security was no longer taxable. That was, of course, not true. 
3. There was a new bonus deduction of $6,000 if you were 65 or older and fell within the income limitation. One young couple wondered why only old people got the deduction. 
4. The new tax deduction of up to $10,000 for interest on the purchase of a new US built car offered a little relief. One client boasted that he would never buy a foreign built car. I had to tell him that his GMC Terrain was built in Mexico. 
5. Many public sector retirees received increases to their Social Security income due to the repeal of the Windfall Elimination Provision. It was interesting that some were unaware of the increase, or had no idea why they got a raise.
6. Of course the number of new forms and worksheets continued to bulk up your tax return, as well as the price most preparers charge. What ever became of the promise of a postcard sized tax return?
7. Some news that many of us can use. Beginning in the 2026 tax year, non-itemizers can claim a deduction for cash donations to qualified charities, capped at $1,000 for single filers and $2,000 for married couples filing jointly. This deduction is taken in addition to the standard deduction, which rises to $16,100 (single) or $32,200 (joint) in 2026.
8. There was a lady who told me that after she paid her rent, she only had $100 left for the rest of the month. I know there are many people in similar situations. At least AARP was there to offer a free tax return.
9. This is another sad one. I sat across from a couple as I reviewed their documents. I quickly determined that the woman was the partner who handled all things taxes. I typically endeavor to engage with the passive partner in order to help them understand taxes, and to generally make them feel a part of the process. Still, the man sat without expression as I spoke, almost as if he were in a catatonic state. At the end of the interview, the wife slid his chair a few inches away from the table, and the man moaned in pain. She asked if I could assist her in raising him from the chair. He was like lifting dead weight. Another of our clients, seeing him struggle, came over and helped position his walker. I’ve been thinking about these folks since that day, wondering about the quality of their life. It seemed that his pain was such that there was little to no relief. For his wife, the stress, both mental and physical, could surely destroy her health. Is anyone helping them? And I wonder about their past life. Was their life together good? Did they enjoy the go-go years? Were there any go-go years? Is there a message for us, that we should make the most of our remaining go-go years?

Perhaps my fellow HumbleDollar tax nerds can add a few thoughts of their own.