The Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) free program, VITA or Volunteer Income Tax Preparation, offers free income tax preparation service for eligible taxpayers, which includes low- to moderate-income taxpayers. The Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program is for elderly taxpayers who need free tax help. The military also provides free tax help through the Armed Forces Tax Council (AFTC).
These three programs assist individuals and families prepare and file their federal and state tax returns electronically, if desired. It's also possible for any refunds to be added to the taxpayer's bank account using direct deposit.
Qualifications for Free Tax Help
Generally, to qualify for the VITA program, taxpayers must have earned low to moderate income, which the guidelines state as being less than $49,000 for the year. Elderly taxpayers qualify for free tax help if they are 60 years or older through the TCE program. The AARP provides locations for the senior citizen free tax help.
In addition to low- to moderate-income taxpayers and the elderly who qualify for free tax help, the AFTC helps military personnel from all branches with free income tax preparation. The volunteers who work with the AFTC are experts at military tax issues such as combat zone tax benefits and determining whether military personnel and their families qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).
Special Credits for Taxpayers
There are several special credits for taxpayers that the VITA and TCE programs can assist with. These special credits include the following:
- Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
- Child Tax Credit
- Credit for the Elderly or the Disabled
The volunteer tax preparers are knowledgeable about these programs and can work with taxpayers to determine if they qualify for any or all of the special credits.
Using the Free Programs for Free Income Tax Preparation
Eligible taxpayers must learn where the tax preparation help is located. VITA uses the following locations to provide the free tax help: schools, libraries, community centers, and shopping malls. The IRS VITA website provides a toll-free phone number for taxpayers to call for local locations. The military provides assistance through the AFTC at all military installations worldwide.
Taxpayers must provide the correct paperwork and take it with them when they go for free tax help. This paperwork can include some or all of the following documentation and/or information for each member of the family:
- identification cards, such as driver's license or state ID cards
- social security cards / numbers
- birth certificates / dates of birth
- proof of wages, such as W2 forms, 1099
- bank statements of interest or dividends
- the previous year's state and federal tax returns
- daycare dollars paid and the daycare provider's tax identifying number (TIN) or social security number.
Taxpayers may Save Money with Free Tax Help
Eligible taxpayers can save money using these programs for tax preparation assistance. One way is that they would save the dollar amount that they may have paid to have someone prepare their tax returns. Another way taxpayers may save money is from the knowledgeable tax preparers who can provide insight into deductions or other special credits that the taxpayer can take advantage of, thus reducing their tax liability and getting a larger refund or owing less money in taxes.
Peggy Hazelwood - Peggy Hazelwood+ is a word nerd who has worked as a reporter, proofreader, technical editor, freelance copy editor, and freelance writer ...
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