Access to Justice Fellow provides vital assistance to low-income taxpayers

“When I reached retirement age I didn’t really want to retire,” says Access to Justice Fellow Hardin Matthews, who retired in 2013 after a 39-year legal career in the Tax & Benefits Department at Ropes & Gray.

Matthews found the perfect post-retirement fit when he signed on to participate in the Clearinghouse’s Access to Justice Fellows Program. He has been volunteering with the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic at Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS), applying his expertise to help clients work through a variety of tax conflicts.

“I think for a lot of people, dealing with the tax systems, both federal and state, is a daunting experience—one that people are afraid of,” he says. “They often do not understand how the tax system works, how taxes are calculated, and how a tax matter is to be resolved, so it does take an emotional toll when they start to receive a string of threatening, computer-generated letters.”

At GBLS, Matthews and other volunteer attorneys represent low-income clients, many of whom are immigrants or seniors with fixed incomes, in governmental tax audits, appeals, collection matters, and litigation. With their help, clients are often able to reduce the amount they owe or have their penalties waived altogether.

According to a report published by the IRS, low-income taxpayers are more likely to face a multitude of hardships, such as unstable job prospects, substandard housing, lack of affordable childcare, and a lack of access to higher education. Being able to resolve tax matters quickly and effectively can provide some peace of mind to those who are struggling.

Matthews has also been a volunteer with the IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program for a few years now, something he says turned out to be the “best possible training I could have had for [my Fellowship].”

The VITA program, which offers free basic tax preparation assistance to low-income individuals, has some limitations. As Matthews explains, there are constraints to what VITA volunteers can do for people with more complex tax problems. Programs like the one at GBLS are designed to help these taxpayers who may otherwise fall through the cracks.

Tax law isn’t for everybody and Matthews thinks there is definitely a learning curve. But his years at Ropes & Gray saw him navigating complex tax rules and representing clients during large-scale audits—skills that have now allowed him to make a difference in the lives of many who have nowhere else to turn.

“It’s not everyone who would want to do what I do,” he says. “But I thought I had a contribution to make in this area and I feel lucky to have found this opportunity.”

The Access to Justice Fellows Program, a joint program of the Lawyers Clearinghouse and the Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission, was started in 2012 and entered its third year in September with the largest class of Fellows so far. Since the program’s inception, 34 retired and transitioning lawyers have taken on a variety of pro bono projects related to veterans’ issues, child welfare, the health of vulnerable populations, civil liberties, and other access to justice matters. Click here to learn more about past and present Fellows.