This year, 790 households had their taxes filed free at the Crestview Public Library.
That is more than at any other library in the Florida Panhandle, from Pensacola to Tallahassee, with the exception of Leon County Library in the state capital.
Some other interesting stats for those 790 returns include the following:
•Over $500,000 in refunds were calculated
•601 households were from Crestview, 102 from Baker, 49 from Laurel Hill, 23 from Holt and 16 from Alabama
•Average resident's age was 66
•70 percent were age 60 and older. Although AARP Tax Aide volunteers provided the free service, it was open to needy residents of all ages.
So, a big thank you to Dennis Malik, Okaloosa Tax-Aide supervisor, and the great group of volunteer preparers: Irene, Bob, Brenda, Edward, Jackie, Louise, Margaret, Pat and Sheila.
We are glad tax season is over for this year, but we look forward to Feb. 1 through April 15, 2015 — just, please, don’t all try coming that first day!
Sandra Dreaden is the Crestview Public Library's reference librarian.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CHECK IT OUT: Crestview library second to Tallahassee library with 790 tax returns filed for free