A local group is offering a helping hand with tax season looming.

Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) offers a Community Volunteer Income Tax Program starting at the beginning of March every year.

Sherri Mullen, a specialist with the Okotoks Family Resource Centre, says the program is available to people and families within a certain income threshold who want some help with simple tax situations.

"We do just the simple returns, so if people have self-emloyment income, business income, have been bankrupt, that's outside the scope of the program, but for people who just have a few T4s and T5s, maybe some education expenses, that is considered simple."

We can deal with medical expenses, charitable constributions, RRSP contributions, those are all in the simple category. Our volunteers are trained to do that. The volunteers are screened by the Town of Okotoks and the program is a partnership with Canada Revenue Agency, which also conducts screening on the volunteers," says Mullen.

There is an income limit for those interested:

1 person - $35,000
2 people - $45,000
3 people - $47,500
4 people - $50,000
5 people - $52,500 + $2,500 for each additional dependent.

The program is offered by the FCSS in Okotoks, High River, Turner Valley, and Black Diamond.