The governor's office is promoting 942 free tax filing assistance sessions at 80 locations around the state, but the nearest one to people in St. Lawrence County is in Hamilton County, and there are no others in the North Country.

But there are alternatives offered by SUNY Canton and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) for people in the county.

Each of the state sites are staffed by state Department of Taxation and Finance tax experts who are available to assist low-income New Yorkers with electronically filing their 2014 taxes, according to the news release.

But there are no New York State-sponsored tax sessions set in St. Lawrence County.

The nearest ones are in Hamilton County, where two sessions are scheduled for Feb. 28.

No other North Country sites are listed.

But there are other options for low-income and older people in the county to get free help with their tax returns.

The U.S. IRS web site lists the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance service at SUNY Canton through April 14 again this year. Appointments are required: 379-3916.

And free income tax preparation and electronic filing is offered in St. Lawrence County by the AARP Tax-Aide program. The service is available Feb. 1 through April 15.

The AARP tax prep service has regular hours in Massena, Canton, Potsdam and Ogdensburg for low-income people, with a special emphasis on taxpayers 60 years old and older:

• Massena - Mondays and Tuesdays 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Massena Community Ctr., 61 Beach St.

• Potsdam - Tuesdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Midtown Apts., Munson St.

• Canton - Tuesdays 4 to 8 p.m., Knights of Columbus, Miner St.

• Canton - Wednesdays 1 to 4 p.m., by appt. only, Partridge Knoll, 30 Sullivan Dr., 212-0409 for an appointment

• Ogdensburg - Thursdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Ogdensburg Rescue Squad Bldg. (former Hackett’s Store), Pickering St.

No appointment is needed except at the Canton-Partridge Knoll location. Bring all documents showing income for 2014 plus last year’s tax return.

More than 70 percent of New York taxpayers hire tax preparers, often costing hundreds of dollars per filing, according to the release from the governor’s office. This is cost prohibitive to low-income residents filing taxes and attempting to maximize their refund. By offering tax preparation service free of charge, SUNY Canton, AARP and the state help more New Yorkers effectively fulfill their tax responsibilities while maximizing their household's possible tax refund.