Tax Filing Assistance

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Tax season is here! Make sure you submit your tax returns by Tuesday, April 17. The IRS offers several free programs to help you file your taxes.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites provide assistance to people who generally make $54,000 or less, persons with disabilities 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.

The Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program offers free tax help for all taxpayers, particularly those who are 60 years of age and older, specializing in questions about pensions and retirement-related issues unique to seniors. The IRS-certified volunteers who provide tax counseling are often retired individuals associated with non-profit organizations that receive grants from the IRS.

To find a nearby VITA/TCE location by zip code, use the locator tool here.

Before going to a VITA or TCE site, see what services are provided here and check out the What to Bring page to ensure you have all the required documents and information volunteers will need to help you.

Find more information on the IRS’s website here.

IRS Free File allows those with income below $66,000 to prepare and file their own federal individual income tax return for free using commercial tax preparation and filing software. Find more information and file for free here.

AARP also offers tax assistance for low-to-moderate income seniors at local sites through their Tax-Aide program. Find a site near you by using the locator tool, available here.

Tax Help Info from IRS.gov

The IRS encourages you to take advantage of the many resources available 24/7 on www.IRS.gov where you can often obtain the information you need without having to visit a Taxpayer Assistance Center (TAC). Publication 5136, IRS Services Guide, is available online at https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5136.pdf and explains where to find help tax information and online tools.

Some of the most frequent services taxpayers seek from TACs are transcripts, refund inquiries, questions about Balance Due Notices, and identity theft assistance. The IRS.gov offers on-line applications and/or detailed information for all these services.

Transcripts.  The fastest way to get a transcript is through the Get Transcript tool on IRS.gov. Although the IRS temporarily stopped the online viewing and printing of transcripts, Get Transcript still allows you to order your transcript online and receive it by mail. You simply click the "Get a Transcript by Mail" button to order the paper copy of your transcript and have it sent to your address of record.  Among the options available:

• To order a transcript online and have it delivered by mail, go to IRS.gov and use the Get Transcript tool.
• To order by phone, call 800-908-9946 and follow the prompts.
• To request an individual tax return transcript by mail or fax, complete Form 4506T-EZ, Short Form Request for Individual Tax Return Transcript. Businesses and individuals who need a tax account transcript should use Form 4506-T, Request for Transcript of Tax Return.

The IRS will mail the transcript to the address of record entered on your prior year’s tax return. The mailed transcript is an official document. It does not need to be a “certified” copy as is the case with some other documents. If you have moved since you last filed a tax return with the IRS, you need to first submit a Form 8822, the Change of Address form, to ensure that the transcript is mailed to the correct address.

Payments and payment agreements. You can use a debit or credit card to pay online, by phone, or mobile device whether you e-file, paper file or are paying your tax bill. It's safe and secure—the IRS uses standard service providers and business/commercial card networks, and your information is used solely to process your payment. Payment will be processed by a payment processor who will charge a processing fee. No part of the service fee goes to the IRS and the payment usually can’t be canceled.

Direct Pay, at www.irs.gov/Payments/Direct-Pay, is a free, secure service to pay an individual tax bill or estimated tax payment directly from a checking or savings account at no cost. An instant confirmation is provided that the payment has been submitted. Bank account information is not retained in IRS systems after payments are made. If a payment was already made through Direct Pay, you can use the Look Up a Payment feature to view the payment details and status. A payment can be modified or canceled until two business days before the payment date.

If you can’t pay, click on the “Pay Your Tax Bill” icon on IRS.gov for information about online payment agreements and offers in compromise. You can apply for an online payment agreement to meet your tax obligation in monthly installments if you cannot pay your taxes in full today. Once you complete the online process, you will receive immediate notification of whether your agreement has been approved. An offer in compromise allows you to settle your tax debt for less than the full amount you owe. Use the online Offer in Compromise Pre-Qualifier to see if you are eligible.

Tax forms and publications. You can download or print all of the forms and publications you may need on https://www.irs.gov/forms-instructions. Otherwise, you can go to https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/order-products to place an order and have forms mailed to you. You should receive your order within 10 business days.

Where’s my Refund.  A quick, easy and secure way online or via IRS2Go mobile application to check the status of a refund.

Where’s my Amended Return.  Provides the status of Form 1040X Amended Tax Return for the current year and up to three prior years.

Answers to tax law questions. Go to https://www.irs.gov/help/telephone-assistance for a variety of tools that will help you with your taxes. You can also Enter “ITA” in the search box on IRS.gov for the Inter-active Tax Assistant, a tool that will ask you questions on a number of tax law topics and provide answers. You can print the entire interview and the final response. Or, enter “Pub 17” in the search box on IRS.gov to get Pub. 17, Your Federal Income Tax for Individuals, which features details on tax-saving opportunities, 2015 tax changes, and thousands of interactive links to help you find answers to your questions.