Dr. Roy Watson likes to volunteer. And he’s proud to be the oldest (in more ways than one!) volunteer for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program of United Way of Denton County.
The educator who taught English for 34 years at both the college (Bishop) and high school (Dallas ISD) levels, retired in 1998 at age 60 but “wasn’t ready to put my feet up.”
Roy moved to Aida, OK after retirement where he started volunteering to do other people’s taxes.
“I enjoy doing taxes,” explained Roy. “I like the challenge. It keeps my mind busy.”
The birth of two grandchildren lured the community theater buff back to North Texas in 2006 where he settled in Denton. Shortly thereafter, Roy learned United Way had launched the IRS’s free tax preparation program in Denton County and needed volunteers.
Roy signed up and has faithfully returned year after year to help prepare tax returns for hard working neighbors. Nothing can slow down this 80+year old with an easy smile and infectious laugh, not even a diagnosis of multiple myeloma and two subsequent back surgeries in 2018.
“I like helping people,” Roy said bluntly. His resume of over 1,000 hours as a volunteer tax preparer confirms that!
United Way of Denton County needs more people to join Roy and other VITA volunteers who dedicated 2,400+ hours to prepare over 1,500 returns for hard-working low to moderate-income families in our community last year.
Volunteers are needed for the 2019 Tax Prep Season to serve as intake greeters, translators, and tax preparers. As Roy will attest, no prior experience is needed.
“I never took an accounting class,” said Roy. “But I’ve always enjoyed doing the taxes.”
Volunteer training for the VITA program is happening now and will be ongoing through January. Learn more.
Several VITA locations are open throughout Denton County with sites in the following municipalities: Aubrey, Corinth, Denton, Lake Dallas, Lewisville, Little Elm, Pilot Point, and Sanger. VITA sites will be open until April 15, 2020.