Tax season: for many, it’s an anxiety-inducing time of year! And while filing taxes can be a time-consuming and sometimes confusing process, you do not have to panic. In fact, while it might seem like a complicated process, today there are many resources and articles available online to answer your questions, organize your paperwork, and even e-file on your behalf.

So, where should you start? Below, we’ve outlined resources available online that you can use to save time, answer your questions, and ultimately get clarity about how to navigate your taxes. And, don’t forget, you need to file your taxes before Tuesday, April 18, 2017.

To file or not to file?

The most important question when it comes to tax season – how do I know if even need to file a tax return? Depending on your filing status, age, and the type of income you receive (and income level), you are required to file a federal income tax return. But, there are some cases when filing — even if you aren’t required to — might make sense.

To find out if you need to file, you can use this interactive tool from the federal IRS. For more information, this article from AARP is also a great resource.

Ok, so I do need to file my taxes. But, where can I find help with my tax preparation?

Fortunately, there are many resources available that offer tax preparation assistance. For low- and moderate-income older adults, AARP offers subsidized tax preparation assistance. You can find a tax aide site on their website here. Additionally, the IRS VITA program offers subsidized tax preparation assistance for low- and moderate-income people of any age. Find a VITA Tax aid site on the IRS website here.

There are also a number of private pay financial or tax adviser options. You can find a tax preparer via the National Society of Accountants here, or use one of the many national tax preparation companies like H&R Block, Jackson-Hewitt, Liberty Tax, or TurboTax, to name a few. Don’t know where to start when choosing a tax preparer? The American Institute of CPAs has got you covered with this fact sheet.

How does the Affordable Care Act affect my taxes?

One thing that is different from previous years is that tax filers must prove they had creditable health insurance coverage during 2015, or else pay a fee on their federal taxes. Here are some articles to help you determine how to prove your coverage (click on the text for your situation):

• How to prove coverage if you purchased health insurance via a government health insurance exchange
• How to prove coverage if you had 2016 coverage from any other health insurance provider (e.g. Medicare, Medicaid, employer, etc.).
• Fact sheet on non-coverage fee and fee exemptions

Ok, I’m ready! Where can I get my tax forms?

You can download your tax forms online. Here are links to the forms you will need:

• Federal – Download federal tax forms from the IRS here
• DC – Download DC tax forms from the DC Office of Tax and Revenue here
• MD – Download MD tax forms from the Comptroller of MD here
• VA – Download VA tax forms from the Virginia Department of Taxation here
•  Other states – Get links to other state tax forms from the Federation of Tax Administrators here

The IRS also provides tax forms available in large print and other accessible formats. For more information visit https://www.irs.gov/uac/irs-tax-publications-in-large-print or call the IRS Publications Department at (800) 829-3676.

What should I do if I can’t pay my taxes?

If you owe the IRS, there are some options for you. Depending on your circumstance, you may be granted a short extension to pay your tax in full. You might also be able to try an installment plan, or make an offer.

To learn more about these options, take a look at this AARP article that outlines strategies when you cannot pay your taxes. You can also learn more about tax extensions from the IRS here and payment plans here.

Finally, you can track your refund by visiting the IRS’s “Where’s my refund” webpage here. But, beware, there are various tax scams that target your return and refund. Learn more from this AARP article on different tax scams, or read up on tax scams on the IRS website here.

Happy filing!

Since I was a young girl, I’ve always had an interest in and affinity for helping people. As a young adult, I landed on fundraising as a career.

Though it wasn’t direct service, my job was to raise money at non-profit organizations, and so I was helping to sustain the important work of causes I cared about. I felt proud of the work I did, and I was good at it, but I always had a nagging feeling that I was supposed to be doing something else.

It took me a long time, but I finally figured out that I’m meant to be a social worker. So here I am, aged 56, in my second of four years of a Masters of Social Work (MSW) program at Catholic University.

Let me tell you, being a student at my age is not easy.

While it’s rewarding to be engaged in learning something new, the weekly tests, papers, presentations, and group projects, not to mention the hundreds of pages of textbook reading, are no picnic.

As far as I’m concerned, the absolute best and most important part of the MSW program is the required “field placement.” Each student has an internship at an agency during which they get to put into practice what they’re learning in the classroom. My fellow students are interning at hospitals, schools, and clinics.

I really hit the jackpot when I got placed at Iona Senior Services!

My internship is in the Consultation, Care management, and Counseling Department, which serves older adults and caregivers. My colleagues are social workers who do case management (helping older adults to age-in-place) and counseling, and they are the best, most committed colleagues I’ve ever worked with.

My supervisor at Iona helps me manage my case load of clients (who I go out to see on home visits) and the bi-monthly support group for older adults who are visually impaired that I co-facilitate. I’ve heard about the importance of supervision in social work, but didn’t really understand until now just how integral and critical supervision is to the practice. As I’m developing my professional social worker self, I find her oversight and support to be invaluable.

One thing I didn’t expect was how much of a learning environment I would find at Iona.

There are ample opportunities for me to learn from and with my colleagues every day, and amazingly, my colleagues share and learn from one another as well.

Besides the incredible staff, I find myself constantly inspired by the older adults I work with and the volunteers, program participants, and others who contribute to Iona in so many ways. Iona is such a heart-centered place to work. Everyone cares so much about the work, the clients, and about each other.

I’ve worked in a lot of non-profits, so I am used to a work environment that is cause-oriented, but Iona is like no other place I’ve worked. There’s a special sauce here and it makes me smile every day I get to come to work.

Iona has a wonderful program called “Take Charge/Age Well Academy,” that provides educational opportunities for active older adults and touches on topics like downsizing, healthy aging, or second careers.

With my bold move to leave non-profit fundraising and begin this new career, I like to think that taking charge and aging well is exactly what I am doing. And, my experience here confirms for me that it was the right thing to do.

Remember, it’s never too late!

By Betsy Reinstein Dewey

Betsy Reinstein Dewey is a social work intern in Consultation, Case Management, and Counseling Services at Iona. She is currently working toward a Masters of Social Work degree at Catholic University and is excited to pursue a career in clinical social work.

Three simple ingredients make a wonderful glaze for this quick and delicious salmon recipe, one of my family’s favorite dishes. Mediterranean diet guidelines suggest consuming fish or seafood twice a week.

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs. fresh or thawed frozen salmon fillet, rinsed and patted dry
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp apricot jam
1 Tbsp grainy mustard
Juice of ½ lemon (optional)

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 400° F (375° if using a convention oven).
2. Line a baking dish with foil and place salmon, skin side down, in the dish.
3. Lightly sprinkle salt and pepper over the fish.
4. Mix together the olive oil, jam, and mustard and spread the mixture evenly over the salmon.
5.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until the fish flakes and the top is lightly browned.
6. Remove from oven, squeeze lemon juice over the fish, and serve.

By Rose Clifford, RDN, MBA

Rose Clifford, RDN, MBA has practiced as a registered dietitian nutritionist in the Washington, DC area for over 30 years. Her current primary work as the Nutrition Program Manager for Iona Senior Services focuses on helping older adults maximize their nutritional health so they can live active, full lives in their own homes. Rose is an active member of the DC Office on Aging Nutrition Task Force and is FY17 co-chair of the Food & Nutrition sub-committee of the DC Senior Advisory Coalition.

“What do you do” – it’s a question we all hear, especially, it seems, living in the District where there are regularly networking events and social meet-ups.

But for those transitioning into retirement, it can be a difficult question. At Iona, we recognize that these changes in later adulthood come with challenges – that’s why we offer the Transitions in Aging Support Group.

In the group, which I help facilitate, we discuss many common challenges people face when transitioning to this new stage of life. Conversations have touched on a range of difficult transitions, like:

• Adjusting to retirement
• Changes in household composition
• Downsizing to a smaller living space
• Health and memory changes
• Financial concerns
• Dwindling social connections, and
• Coping with loneliness

As a social work intern at Iona, these conversations have been inspiring for me. They have helped me cope with my own challenges in transitioning from my role as a student to a social worker. Additionally, I have had the privilege of observing group members thrive despite the challenges in their daily lives.

Thanks to the group, I now view life transitions in a whole new light.

I’ve learned that transitional stages in life can be a time for transformation and for developing a new self. At the same time, successfully transitioning into a new phase of life can also be accompanied by a fear of the unknown. For many, the flight or fight response can even be activated when there is change on the horizon. In fact, these challenges are so common, even popular literature takes on the subject. Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, for example, captures the negative emotion that we feel when we change from the old to the new, when his protagonist suddenly transforms into a large insect (but, hopefully your retirement doesn’t feel like you’re turning into a monstrous creature!).

Generally speaking, then, taking on these transformations requires a sense of hope, vulnerability, and future-thinking about your tasks and goals. And, it doesn’t hurt to also have a good social support network. This, too, is represented in popular culture. For instance, the popular Netflix series “Frankie and Grace” deals with the challenges of divorce later in life, while also showing how friendships and social support can make even the most difficult times easier.

Unfortunately, as you age, you might lose some of the relationships you once leaned upon for support.

The loss of friends and relatives becomes a constant theme due to the prescribed course of life. Support groups, however, can help fill these gaps.

In the Transitions in Aging Support Group, I’ve observed firsthand how members enjoy the benefits of social support twice a month. People share their successes and challenges, turn to each other for support, and enjoy lively conversations.

The group is based on the notion that social interaction is beneficial to your overall wellbeing. Social groups can provide the benefits of socialization, companionship, and acceptance, and offer a safe space to be vulnerable. Additionally, having a space that supports your re-examination of hopes, dreams, and fears has the effects to renew from within.

Most importantly, through facilitating this support group, I’ve learned that when we think of transitional stages, we should always ask ourselves this question: “Do I want to transform into a self that is crippled by the fear of the unknown or transform into someone that takes charge despite the unknown?”

At the end of the day, transitioning, especially as you age, is difficult. There might be bad days when you feel like Frank Kafka’s monster, and there might be good days when you can laugh and enjoy quality time with friends or family.

But, when we begin to accept these ups and downs of aging, the path to purposeful living becomes easier to find. Acceptance means understanding your realities and being proactive in your future. By taking charge, you can accept that there are going to be rough days along the way, but there is always a brighter day around the corner.

And, remember – you do not have to face these challenges alone! Iona offers a range of support groups, like the Transitions in Aging Support Group, among others, and mental health therapy. For more information on these groups and to sign-up, please call (202) 895-9448, and ask for our Helpline.

Do you ever feel like Frank Kafka’s monster? Let us know in the comments how you deal with transitions in your life.

By Jivwe Partridge

Jivwe Partridge is a MSW student  intern at Iona. She co-leads the Transitions in Aging Support Group with Susan Lieberman. Jivwe expects to graduate in May with her Master’s degree from the University of Baltimore. She plans to continue her work with older adults and addictions.