The Internal Revenue Service wants taxpayers who have yet to file their 2016
federal income tax return to know they can still get last-minute free tax help.
Taxpayers can choose to either use IRS
Free File or go to a community tax-help site for free tax preparation and assistance.
IRS Free File
All taxpayers can use either IRS Free File or IRS Free File Fillable
Forms.
IRS Free File is available for anyone who earned $64,000 or less last year.
Through a partnership between the IRS and the Free File Alliance, a group of 12
leading tax software companies, taxpayers can use their tax software to prepare
and e-file their tax return at no cost. Since 2003, more than 50 million people
have used IRS Free File; saving $1.5 billion based on a conservative $30 fee
estimate.
More than 70 percent of all taxpayers are eligible for the software
products. Each of the 12 companies has its own special offers, generally based
on age, income or state residency. Taxpayers can review each company offer or
they can use a “Help Me” tool that will find the software they are eligible to
use.
Active duty military personnel with incomes of $64,000 or less may use any
IRS Free File software product without regard to the criteria. IRS Free File
software does the hard work. It walks users through the tax preparation process
and helps identify those tax changes that may affect their return.
Taxpayers earning more than $64,000 can use IRS Free File Fillable Forms,
the electronic version of IRS paper forms. The Fillable Forms option is best
for people who are comfortable preparing their own tax return.
Taxpayers have the option to prepare their return at any time and schedule a
tax payment as late as the April 18 deadline. Taxpayers who cannot meet the
April tax filing deadline can also use IRS Free File (with no income
restrictions) to request an automatic six-month extension until Monday, Oct.
16, 2017.
IRS Free File, available only through IRS.gov/FreeFile,
will be available through Monday, Oct. 16, 2017.
Community Tax Help
Taxpayers who qualify can obtain free tax preparation at nearly 12,000
community sites nationwide. These free tax help sites are generally
located in nearby shopping malls, schools and neighborhood centers. Community
tax help consists of two programs, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, or VITA
program, and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly, or TCE program. Both programs
provide free tax preparation and assistance.
The VITA program offers free tax help to individuals who generally make
$54,000 or less, persons with disabilities, the elderly and individuals with
limited English proficiency who need assistance in preparing their taxes. The
TCE program offers free tax help for taxpayers, particularly those who are 60
and older.
VITA and TCE volunteers are IRS certified and trained to help prepare basic
tax returns, both federal and state. Volunteers can use tax software to prepare
and e-file a taxpayer’s return. They help determine what credits, deductions
and allowable expenses a taxpayer may qualify for, such as the Earned
Income Tax Credit and the Child
and Dependent Care Credit. These programs are not able to provide help with
business tax returns or complex individual income tax returns.
In addition, the military
and the IRS have joined to provide free tax assistance to military personnel
and their families. The Armed Forces Tax Council (AFTC) consists of the tax
program coordinators for the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast
Guard. The AFTC oversees the operation of the military tax programs worldwide,
and serves as the main conduit for outreach by the IRS to military personnel
and their families. Volunteers can also address military specific tax issues,
such as combat zone tax benefits and the effect of the EITC guidelines.
Before visiting a VITA or TCE site, taxpayers
should review Publication
3676-B to be aware of the services provided. To find the nearest VITA or
TCE site, use the VITA and TCE locator
tool available on IRS.gov, download the IRS mobile app IRS2GO
or call 800-906-9887.
No comments:
Post a Comment