TAX surgeries are to be held in Alcombe to offer free help and advice for older West Somerset people on modest incomes.

TaxHelp for Older People (TOP), which has been running in South Somerset, East Devon and Dorset since April last year, has now established a site for tax surgeries in Minehead.

Over-60s who cannot afford to pay accountants' fees and are concerned about their tax rights and obligations can book an appointment for help from one of the tax professionals giving time and expertise to the scheme.

TOP was set up as a pilot in the South West and Wolverhampton by the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group, which is sponsored by the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT).

Advice sessions were held in friendly surroundings provided by Age Concern, sheltered housing and libraries in market towns around the region.

These were chosen as places accessible to those dependent on public transport and not too far to travel. So successful was the service that TOP has decided to expand further into Somerset and try to reach a larger population.

Patrick Millard, the TOP co-ordinator, said: "We have dealt with a wide range of issues, some just worried whether they ought to be paying tax or not, up to those facing the full weight of a self-assessment form.

"Understanding a tax coding or wondering whether they are overpaying tax is a source of great worry for a lot of older people, who often are afraid to approach the Inland Revenue or don't fully understand what they are told over the telephone."

The rough guidelines to qualify for free help are a household income below around £15,000 a year and being aged about 60 and upwards, but TOP will exercise discretion in borderline cases.

Anyone who thinks they might be eligible can phone 0845 601 3321 for an appointment, leaving their name and number if the office is unmanned and TOP will call them back.

CIOT, established in 1930, is the leading professional body in the United Kingdom concerned solely with taxation. One of its key aims is to achieve a better, more efficient, tax system for all affected by it - taxpayers, advisers and the authorities.

The Low Incomes Tax Reform Group works to improve and simplify the tax system so as to make it more responsive to the needs of those who cannot afford to pay for tax advice.