United Way and AARP are recruiting volunteers to help people keep more of what they earn.

The organizations are seeking volunteers to help prepare taxes from Feb. 1 to April 15, 2008. A wide variety of times and sites are available throughout Martin County.

Free training is offered, and there are two programs from which to choose:

United Way of Martin County’s effort is part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program that helps low-income working people file for the Earned Income Tax Credit. Volunteers are needed to assist people during evening hours at sites in Stuart, Hobe Sound and Indiantown. The IRS offers free training, which can be online, self-study or classroom-based learning. Anyone interested in this program should call United Way at (772) 283-4800 or Peggy O’Malley, IRS senior tax specialist, at (561) 616-2016.

AARP is seeking volunteers to staff its Tax-Aide sites. Most of these volunteer opportunities are during daytime hours, and most are at Martin County library locations. The AARP effort serves taxpayers of any age and encompasses a greater variety of tax forms. Training is free of charge and lasts three to five days. Anyone interested in this opportunity should call John Sebold at (772) 287-7132 or visit www.aarp.org/taxaide.

All tax returns are filed electronically using tax preparation software.

This is the third year that United Way of Martin County has been involved in the VITA program. Last year, United Way sites helped bring 63 people a total of $36,000 in tax refunds.

“With more volunteers each year, we hope to have an increase in the number of returns filed and refunds received,” said Jim Vojcsik, executive director of United Way of Martin County.

The United Way effort was launched after learning that about 20 percent of the people in Martin County who qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit have not filed for it. United Way offered the tax preparation to help working families access the tax credit as well as to complement the effort conducted by the AARP.

The AARP Tax-Aide program is the nation's largest, free, volunteer-run tax preparation and assistance service.