Maximize Your Refund with These 9 Free Tax Help Resources. Taxpayers may get free assistance from several different places. You have nine choices from which to choose:
- IRS Free File: If your AGI is less than $72,000, you may qualify for this program’s free tax preparation and electronic filing services. The IRS website is where you may obtain Free File.
- Help with Individual Tax Returns (VITA): Those with annual incomes of $57,000 or less, those who are disabled, and those who speak little to no English are eligible for this program’s free tax preparation assistance. Free, essential tax return preparation and e-filing are available from IRS-approved volunteers. The IRS website can help you locate a VITA location in your area.
- Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE): Those 60 or older are eligible for this service, which provides free tax assistance. Volunteers who have passed the IRS’s certification process have expertise in tax considerations affecting retirees. On the IRS website, you may search for a nearby TCE location.
- Federal Tax Relief From the AARP Foundation: Help with tax preparation is provided free of charge via this service, with an emphasis on those who are either over the age of 50 or have low to moderate incomes. On the AARP site, you may search for a local tax-help center.
- Local community organizations: During tax season, many regional institutions, including libraries, community centers, and non-profits, provide free help with tax preparation.
- Arms Service Information: Service personnel and their families may use this program’s free tax preparation and filing services at no cost. The Military OneSource website provides access to this service.
- Bureaus of State Taxation: Free tax help is available from several state governments. See whether your state’s tax department provides this by contacting them.
- Software for completing tax returns online: Taxpayers with straightforward returns may qualify for free essential tax preparation and e-filing services from certain online software providers.
- Advocacy Group for Taxpayers: Free assistance is provided via this program to taxpayers who have suffered financial loss, whose tax issues have not been addressed through standard IRS channels, or who have reason to think that an IRS system or process is not functioning as it should. The IRS website will direct you to the closest office of the Taxpayer Advocate Service.
The Top 4 Free Tax Software Programs for 2023
While filing taxes, filers may choose from several free programs. Some common choices include:
IRS Free File: It was previously noted that participants in this program who have an AGI of $72,000 or less are eligible to get free electronic filing and online tax preparation services. Just visit the IRS website to obtain Free File.
The Free Version of TurboTax: If you have a basic tax situation and will be submitting Form 1040EZ or Form 1040A, then you may use this edition of TurboTax to prepare and electronically file your taxes for free with the federal government. More complicated tax circumstances may incur more costs.
Downloadable H&R Block Tax Software: For taxpayers with uncomplicated tax circumstances, such as those who file Form 1040EZ or Form 1040A, H&R Block’s tax preparation software provides free federal and state preparation and e-filing services. Those with more intricate tax circumstances may incur more costs.
A Free Copy of TaxAct: This version of TaxAct’s software prepares and electronically files federal and state returns for free for taxpayers with uncomplicated tax circumstances, such as those who file Form 1040EZ or Form 1040A. Those with more intricate tax circumstances may incur more costs.
Although free tax software may be a huge help, it’s crucial to remember that not everyone will find it to their liking. Tax preparation services and paid tax software programs are alternatives to free tax software if you have a more complicated tax situation or would rather deal with a professional.
Free Legal Clinics
Those who cannot afford legal services may get help through free legal clinics that provide them with information, counsel, and guidance. Several legal issues, such as immigration, housing, employment, consumer, and family law, may be addressed by visiting one of these clinics, in which law schools, legal aid organizations, or community-based groups often operate.
Those needing legal help who cannot afford private representation may find free legal clinics a great option. Counselling, reviewing documents, doing legal research, and appearing in court or before administrative bodies are all possible services they provide.
Contact your local bar association, legal aid agency, or law school to learn more about the free legal clinics available. If you cannot afford a solicitor, you may be eligible for pro bono assistance via your local courthouse or a free legal clinic in your region. It is recommended to call free legal clinics as soon as possible since their availability and resources may be limited.
IRS Interactive Tax Assistant
The IRS Interactive Tax Assistant may ask a wide range of tax-related questions. Input information is used to ascertain whether or not you are required to submit a tax return or qualify for dependant or cost deductions. There is no database where they may be saved or linked to any specific user.
Also Read: How to Handle IRS Tax Debt Before It’s Too Late
Taxpayer Advocate Service
The United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) established the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) as a separate agency to help people work out their tax disputes with the agency. If you’re having financial difficulties or have tried to handle your tax issues via the appropriate channels but have yet to be successful, the TAS may be able to assist.
The Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) offers a variety of services to taxpayers, including education on their rights and duties under the law, guidance through the IRS’s complex bureaucracy, and mediation of disputes with the agency. In addition to advising lawmakers and the IRS, the TAS works to advance the tax code and safeguard individual taxpayers’ interests.
Taxpayers may contact the TAS through the toll-free hotline or by visiting a local TAS office for help. The Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) also maintains a helpful website with useful information and links.
In some instances, taxpayers may still require the advice of a tax attorney or other expert, and the TAS should be seen as something other than a replacement for legal counsel.