With tax season quickly approaching, it is a good idea to start thinking about the best ways to plan and file your taxes for income earned this year. Once you've had the opportunity to collect documentation on your income, donations, investments, and other important, taxable transactions, let Benefits.gov be your guide to tax assistance programs.
Free File
IRS Free-File makes doing your Federal taxes less taxing, either through brand-name software or fillable forms that do the hard work for you. This online tax preparation service lets you prepare your own tax return and e-file it for free. More than 46 million people have used Free File since the Internal Revenue Service and the nation's leading tax software providers partnered together 13 years ago. The software helps you find the tax breaks you are due and help you meet your health care reporting requirements. Free File providers also offer state return preparation, some for free as well. For more information visit the Free File program page.
What other IRS resources can I use to help with tax preparation?
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offers advice and assistance to taxpayers through resources like the IRS Tax Assistant, an online tool, and the Tax Guide for Individuals. The IRS Frequently Asked Questions page can also help you quickly find answers to specific questions about your taxes.
The Taxpayer Advocate Service is another service that helps taxpayers who are unable to resolve their tax dispute or those who have received a notification from the IRS. The service helps taxpayers navigate the IRS dispute process and can be used when your tax problem is posing financial problems for your family and/or business.
If you need more personal help, you might be eligible for certain benefits designed to help you file your taxes.
Low Income Taxpayer Clinic
Low-income taxpayers may be eligible to attend the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC). These free tax preparation clinics are located around the country and exist to help those who cannot afford professional tax assistance, or who speak English as a second language (ESL) and need help understanding their taxpayer rights and responsibilities.
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax help to people who generally make $54,000 or less, persons with disabilities, the elderly and limited English-speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals.
Members of the military may also be eligible to participate in VITA. Prior to filing, military members should be aware of the Armed Forces Tax Benefits, which include tax credits and relief for special tax situations of active members of the U.S. Armed Forces. For more information, visit the VITA Program page.
Tax Counseling for the Elderly
Citizens over the age of 60 can receive free tax preparation, and often e-filing, assistance from IRS-certified volunteers through the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program offered at community locations across the country.
Need additional information and resources?
For further help, the IRS offers the IRS2Go mobile application, which allows you to access personal tax information by simply entering in your social security number. Also be sure to read our article Tax Season Can be Stressful: Let Benefits.gov Help for more information on how you can get assistance during tax season.
Filing your taxes can be time-consuming and sometimes frustrating. Benefits.gov wants to help make this tax season less stressful. To find out if you are eligible for over 1,000 other benefit programs, take the Benefit Finder questionnaire or browse the site by category or managing agency.
