The Hustle of Sistah Ant

This tax season I’m trying something new.  The Campaign for Working Families trains people to prepare taxes so that they can help working families get their refunds and Earned Income Tax Credits.  I’m a volunteer for that program.  I was trained to be able to prepare taxes, and I started working with clients just this past weekend.

First of all, I didn’t realize how good it would make me feel to be able to tell someone that they are about to get paid!  I genuinely take joy in telling people that the check is in the mail or will the money will hit their account.

On the other hand, I’m disappointed to admit what I think some of the clients are doing with the money.  As a part of our interaction with the tax clients, we ask people what they plan to do with the money - or more specifically, if they plan to save any of it or reduce bills, and too often, the answer is no.  It just so happens that I came across this article by Michelle Singletary with plenty of suggestions for smart things to do with the money.  I don’t want to be pushy, but I will suggest savings to clients who seem amenable to the advice.  I understand that to many, the tax refund is their yearly boost - their way to deal with financial problems or buy things that have been out of reach all year.  But hopefully a kind word of advice might give someone a broader perspective on how to use the money for their benefit.

Speaking of benefits, I do aim to get more from volunteering with this program than the joy of being the bearer of good news.  I also aim to get a better understanding of how the decisions we make will affect what happens during tax season.  As the first college graduate, the first graduate degree-holder, and the first "professional" in my family, I tend to see things a bit differently from many of the folks I grew up with, and I want to be able to spread my knowledge so that I’m not the only one who can benefit from it.  Many of my tax clients are just like my own family members - they can’t benefit from what they don’t know.  So I’m hoping to learn how the rules work and how to work the rules.  It’ll help me and the people I love.  For all I know, it could help my career as well by expanding my skill set.  It’s all good for my bottom line - better finances and a better quality of life (for me and for others).