Meet LITC Volunteer Dave Hawkins
Dave Hawkins
Dave Hawkins knew from the time he was in high school that he wanted to pursue a career in tax and accounting after an encouraging teacher guided him in that direction. He completed his undergraduate degree and passed the CPA exams. He then worked as a CPA for 35 years before retiring. Throughout his career, Dave always felt the pull of wanting to volunteer somewhere, but as a husband and a father of three who was working full time, he could never seem to fit it into his schedule.
After retiring, however, Dave knew he finally had the opportunity to volunteer regularly, helping those who were struggling with navigating their taxes. “It has been my experience that the Internal Revenue Code is extremely complex and not everyone can afford counsel when they have an issue,” he says. He began looking at alternatives for those who could not afford their own counsel and learned about the history of Low Income Taxpayer Clinics (LITC) through the IRS website. Dave was intrigued. He immediately searched for the nearest LITC, which just happened to be part of Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic.
Dave completed the online volunteer application. Soon, he was meeting with Dee Dee Gowan, the Clinic’s LITC director, and discussing ways that he might be able to offer his assistance. Now, he serves as a regular volunteer for the LITC. “Most of my work centers around bringing a client into filing compliance,” he says. “I also do some tax consulting.”
During one of his first cases volunteering for the Clinic, Dave assisted an elderly man who was struggling with the burden of a 100% Social Security levy. Because he had no income at all, he was forced to rely entirely on his family to help him financially during this time. “Some investigating revealed the levy was from payroll taxes owed,” Dave says. Through some further investigation, he discovered that the amount was overestimated, resulting in overpaid taxes. This man needed someone to intervene on his behalf. Fortunately, Dave was there to help. “We were able to get refunds of the overpaid tax and stop the levy on his Social Security,” Dave says. “The client is eternally grateful to the Clinic.”
For all of the people that he serves, Dave recognizes that sometimes there is nothing more frightening or confusing than financial or tax issues. “We are here to help our clients,” he tells me. “People tend to internalize tax problems.” The process of digging through paperwork and helping a client may not always be easy, but for Dave it is always meaningful. “My favorite memories are seeing a client relieved of tax liabilities or a tax levy or lien being stopped,” he says.
Volunteering is both a means of serving others and of living out his Christian faith for Dave. “Jesus teaches us to use our talents to help others,” he says. “It is the mission of our Clinic to defend the defenseless.”
To learn more about our LITC, please visit our website. To learn more about volunteering for the Clinic, please visit our volunteer page.