So far, my only experience with TaxAid was the training we had on February 11th. We were taught from filling out tax forms, inputing data to the software to dealing with the different types of people we may come across. I am not really familiar with the environment in the Canal and the people living there so I do not know what to expect. The activity we had in class two weeks ago and also the stories we talked about in the training last Saturday really helped me think about what to expect.
Liso's background caused me to remember that a large portion of our clients will most probably be immigrants. "And, you know, we have the idea that everything in America is perfect because that's what we see on TV and in the movies… People will do anything to get here, to make money to send home" (p80). It reminded me how our administrator made a point on how we should be very patient in dealing with our clients, because many are most likely unaware of the process of filing taxes - which is why they go to TaxAid in the first place; new immigrants, especially, who have never filed their tax returns before. In addition to being new in the country, most of them probably receive very low income. In the beginning of Liso's story, it was mentioned that "she supports her family back home - a husband, twin twenty-one-year-old daughters, and her HIV positive mother and sister - on a wage of less than five dollars per hour" (p79). I'm assuming that many of our clients are on the same page as Liso and are operating in such limited earnings. I guess this is somewhat of a good thing since there would be less to input in the system. But that's not the point. This quote also reminded me of what one of the leaders mentioned about claiming dependents who are out of the country. Unfortunately, taxpayers cannot claim their dependents who are neither in the United States nor Canada (I'm not sure about Mexico). If something comes up that is similar to Liso's situation, I would have to remember this and make sure to notify the client about it.
Another story which relates to our expected clients in TaxAid is Desiree's. Desiree is also an immigrant, but what sets her apart from the many is that she has a broad vocabulary in the English language. "The thing is, I had a lot of reasons to learn English; that's why I put so much into learning the language" (p270). Her story reminded me of the opposite. We were informed that many might need english language assistance. I am only hoping that I come across someone who speaks Tagalog so I can help them since I also speak the language. One thing the leaders mentioned which stuck with me was that one of goals of TaxAid is not just to merely help people file their taxes this one time, but to form relationships and connect with these people who come to us for help. I am hoping that this language barrier serves as a tool to further connect with the clients, instead of a divider. Finally, towards the end of Desiree's story I remembered what the leaders mentioned about certain people who are not willing to cooperate and disclose their information when it was mentioned that "the idea oaf deportation is very real for me now, more than ever. It scares me because it could stop my life in a minute" (p279). Although these types of clients are probably the most difficult to deal with, the leaders explained that we should help them still in any way we can. Some people might lack some information (like a SSN) that could be crucial to tax filing, and so we need to find a way to help them get this information or maybe to advise them on how to get one. Many will be hesitant to get proper documents, or even be skeptical about admitting they are undocumented, but from what I picked up on TaxAid is that these people are probably just clueless on what to do. This is where are duties fall into place, listen to what they have to say, educate them about the proceedings and assist them to the very best we can.
-Kate Bolfango
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