With tax season just around the corner, it’s never too early to start thinking about the best way for you to file your taxes. This year, the deadline to file federal tax returns for income earned in 2012 is April 15, 2013. Benefits.gov wants to highlight a few tax assistance programs that may be of interest to you.
Free-File
Free-File is a program offered exclusively by the Internal Revenue System (IRS) that allows you to prepare your own tax return and e-file it for free. The software used by Free-File helps you find the tax breaks you are due and helps you meet your health care reporting requirements. Free-File providers also offer some free state return preparation. To learn whether you qualify for Free-File, visit the Free-File program page. To get started on your tax return, visit the IRS’s Free-File page.
Armed Force Tax Benefits
The Armed Force Tax Benefits Program allows tax benefits or relief for special tax situations of active members of the U.S. Armed Forces. In order to qualify for the Armed Force Tax Benefit program, you generally must have served on active-duty or in a reserve component and you must be a taxpayer who is interested in receiving tax information and tax preparation assistance. To learn more about this program, visit the Armed Force Tax Benefits page. For more information on these special tax benefits, view the IRS’s Armed Forces’ Tax Guide.
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program aids taxpayers with low to moderate levels of income, disabilities, or limited English skills. The VITA program provides volunteers to help prepare basic tax returns for free, with some clinics even offering free electronic filing. To learn more about program requirements, visit the VITA program page. For more information, visit the IRS’s Free Tax Return Preparation for Qualifying Taxpayers’ page.
Tax Counseling for the Elderly
The Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program offers free tax preparation and e-filing assistance to citizens 60 or older. Through TCE, IRS-certified volunteers work with eligible recipients to prepare basic income tax returns. To learn about the application process, visit the Tax Counseling for the Elderly program page. For more information, visit the IRS’s Tax Counseling for the Elderly page.
The IRS offers advice and assistance to taxpayers through resources like the IRS Tax Assistant, an online tool that provides you with responses to tax law questions. The IRS Frequently Asked Questions page can also help you quickly find answers to specific questions about your taxes. For more on taxes, check out our articles Tax Season Can be Stressful: Let Benefits.gov Help and Tax Season is Around the Corner.
Benefits.gov wants you to have a stress-free tax season. To view more tax-related benefit programs, browse the Financial Assistance Category and select the “Tax Assistance” subcategory. Benefits.gov also encourages you to take the Benefit Finder questionnaire to determine what other benefits you may be eligible to receive.
