Tax Help Pays Off

The Northwest Arctic Borough effort to provide federal income tax return preparation assistance appears to have been very worthwhile.  Thus far, our tax preparers have completed about 150 returns for Borough households that have resulted in refunds of about $150,000 for the filers!

Two volunteers we acquired through the Alaska Business Development Center, both of whom are college students from Idaho, traveled to Selawik, Ambler, Shungnak and Kiana last week, where they completed over 100 returns for the village residents.  Those returns resulted in refunds of $107,000.   I would like to commend the Resource Specialists in those villages for helping to advertise and coordinate the visits, as well as those who provided lodging and other help during their travels.

While I expected a larger response to the free tax assistance opportunity in Kotzebue, over 50 returns were completed at our Borough office during the week, resulting in about another $43,000 in refunds.

One of the most interesting stories of the week came from Ambler, where a resident brought our volunteers a copy of a return that had already been filed for their review.  The return had been prepared by a well-known national accounting firm at a cost of $266 to the filer.  The volunteers found that the company had neglected to take the child credit for the household and the result was an additional $1,020 refund!  An amended return was filed on the household’s behalf.

Overall, it appears that these 150 returns will cost our Borough about $7,000 in expenses for travel and per diem for the preparers and administrative cost paid to ABDC.  That’s a cost of about $46 per return.  With the filing deadline of April 15 still three weeks away, we will try to assist the remaining villages with our Borough staff.  Lee Stoops will be in Kobuk on March 24 to assist that village at the request of residents.

On another subject, it was a banner week for Borough high school basketball.  We had the opportunity to watch on television as the Buckland girls and Noorvik boys swept the 1A State Titles in the Service High School gym last Saturday.  Both teams were simply outstanding.  Congratulations to all the players and coaches.

In Kotzebue, the biggest 3A Regional tournament ever featured 16 boys and girls teams from Hooper Bay, Unalaska, Chevak, Dillingham, Bethel, Nome, Barrow and Kotzebue.  After 26 exciting games, the Dillingham Wolverines won the girls’ title and the Barrow Whalers captured the boys’ championship in a close win over our Huskies.

However, the Kotzebue boys earned a trip to the state tournament next week by capturing second place.  It will be the boys’ first trip to State in 14 years!