Don't forget free tax prep options

 1/21/2018

Tax season officially starts January 29. And we want to make sure that you are aware of free income tax preparation options that you may be eligible to use.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program

• Who’s Eligible: Taxpayers with household income of $54,000 or less

Tulsa Area United Way coordinates this IRS program locally through VITA sites where volunteers prepare federal and state income tax returns at no charge. Returns are filed electronically, also for no fee. Goodwill’s VITA site will be open Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (or until we reach capacity) starting February 3 through April 14. For other Tulsa-area locations and times for free tax preparation services, you can call 2-1-1 Helpline. Outside the Tulsa-area, you may search for VITA at irs.gov.

MyFreeTaxes

• Who’s Eligible: Taxpayers with household income of $66,000 or less

United Way also partners with industry leader H&R Block to help people easily and accurately file their federal and state taxes through MyFreeTaxes™. MyFreeTaxes is mobile optimized so you can access MyFreeTaxes.com from your computer, tablet or smart phone. Most filers complete their taxes in less than hour.

MyFreeTaxes is the only free, online, national tax filing product offered by a nonprofit. Some “free” tax prep products only cover federal (not state) filing, or charge extra for anything beyond the most basic forms. MyFreeTaxes is completely free whether you file in multiple states, work freelance or a side gig, or earn investment income. You can even claim casualty losses due to recent natural disasters.

H&R Block’s Premium software powers MyFreeTaxes.com, so filing is easy, secure, and guaranteed to be 100 percent accurate. The software scans for any tax credit you’re entitled to, such as EITC or Child Tax Credit, so you’ll get your maximum refund. And if you have questions along the way, IRS-certified specialists are ready to solve any tax puzzle in real time.

The key difference between these two options is MyFreeTaxes is Do-It-Yourself and VITA is we’ll do it for you. So check to see whether you are eligible for either to save the fee and file for free this tax season.