Jan 3, 2023

Where Can I Get Free Help Filing My Taxes?

Where Can I Get Free Help Filing My Taxes?

Filing taxes. Is there anything more tedious and nerve wracking? Collecting the documents, making sure they’re the right documents, nervously putting all the little numbers on all the little lines and praying you’re doing it correctly. And then, just when you think you’ve made it through all the forms, there’s some question you’re unsure how to answer. You reread all you’ve already input. You reread the directions. You recheck your math. But it’s no use. You’re completely confused.

Don’t panic. There are people who can help you file your taxes accurately and get as big a refund as you’re entitled to. Here’s who those people are and where and how to find them.

Cheerful young dad and daughter sitting on the sofa laughing at something on dad's cell phone.

The IRS Makes Free Tax Help Available In-Person and Online

Hands-on, in-person assistance is available through the:

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance VITA Program.

VITA offers free tax help and free tax preparation and return preparation to individuals who generally make $55,000 or less, persons with disabilities, the elderly and individuals with limited English proficiency,

and the:

Tax Counseling for the Elderly Program.

TCE offers free tax preparation help for all taxpayers, particularly those age 60 and older. The IRS-certified volunteers who provide tax counseling are often retired individuals associated with non-profit organizations that receive grants from the IRS. VITA/TCE services are not only free, they are also a reliable and trusted source for preparing tax returns. All VITA/TCE volunteers who prepare returns must take and pass tax law training that meets or exceeds IRS standards. This training includes maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of all taxpayer information.

Please note that note that VITA sites aren't for people with complex tax situations. For instance, most gig workers, such as Uber drivers, can use the VITA program, but someone who has income from a rental property can't.

How to find the Nearest VITA or TCE site:

To find the nearest VITA or TCE site, you can use the VITA and TCE locator on IRS.gov, download the  IRS2Go app or call 800-906-9887. Help is available in English as well as Chinese, Cantonese, Hindi, Korean, Mandarin, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese at select locations. 

and the Armed Forces Tax Council

This group oversees military tax programs worldwide and connects the IRS to military personnel and their families. Volunteers can help with military-specific tax issues, such income tax credits such as combat zone tax benefits and the earned income tax credit. In addition to free tax return preparation assistance, each site will e-file returns for free.

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Those more comfortable filing their taxes can take advantage of

IRS Free File

Taxpayers who want to prepare and e-file their own taxes can use IRS Free File on IRS.gov. IRS Free File offers brand-name free tax filing and software for taxpayers who earned $66,000 or less so they can prepare and file their federal tax returns for free. Taxpayers who earned more can use Free Fillable Forms, the electronic version of IRS paper forms. IRS Free File also allows taxpayers to get an automatic extension of time to file, but taxpayers must generally pay taxes owed by the April tax-filing deadline to avoid penalties and interest. Special rules apply for military service members.

Get Your Refund

Taxpayers can also use Get Your Refund to connect with an IRS-certified volunteer who will help you file your taxes. First, you will upload your tax documents online. Then, an IRS-certified volunteer will call you to discuss, prepare, and review your tax return for filing. You can also use Get Your Refund to file your own taxes. The platform guides you through the process and has IRS-certified chat support if you have questions.

H&R Block Tax Prep app

The newly designed H&R Block Tax Prep app lets you do your own taxes on any device, with on-demand help from our tax experts if needed*. Import or upload your W-2s with ease, then prep at your own pace. If the online tax preparation or tax software makes an arithmetic error that results in your payment of a penalty and/or interest to the IRS that you would otherwise not have been required to pay, H&R Block will reimburse you up to a maximum of $10,000.

MyFreeTaxes

If you're comfortable using computers and confident preparing your own taxes, consider using a free online tax software. MyFreeTaxes is a service created by United Way Worldwide to provide free tax filing services. MyFreeTaxes is an easy online tool that helps you file your taxes for free. The site offers free step-by-step guidance to filing taxes as well as help through an online chat. Tax filing is free for both federal and state tax filing.

Free File Fillable Forms

If you're very tax-savvy or have very simple returns, another free option available to anyone is Free File Fillable Forms. This tool is the electronic equivalent of filling out a paper tax return, offering the most common tax forms as PDFs that you can submit electronically. Unlike tax software, which walks a user through a series of questions and then uses the answers to fill out a return, Fillable Forms will assume you know which of the various documents and forms you need and can do the math yourself.

Steps to Take Now to Get a Jump on Your Taxes

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The IRS has created a web page filled with tips and steps to take now to get ready to file your taxes. It’s got lots of helpful, easy to understand answers to many questions, as well as info on what’s new and what you should consider when you’re filing this year.

When exploring this page, please bear in mind that you are filing 2022 taxes in 2023.  It can get confusing so just keep reminding yourself.

You’ve got two goals here:

  1. File properly so your account doesn’t get flagged for any reason, and

  2. and keep as much of your hard earned money in your pocket as possible!

What’s another great way to do exactly that? Switch cell phone carriers and get FREE wireless

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At Life Wireless we believe in helping you keep more of your hard earned money in your pocket. And how better to that then with free wireless service from Life Wireless.

It’s not difficult to qualify for free cellular service from Life Wireless, if you meet certain requirements, and it takes just a few minutes to complete the application process.

A little background

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Life Wireless offers government subsidized free cellular service through the Affordable Connectivity Program to qualifying individuals and families. And, if you’re unemployed or participate in a government benefit program such as SNAP, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, SSI, or WIC, you already qualify for this federally funded free cellular service.

About the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)

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As we mentioned above, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a government benefit program operated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that provides discounts on monthly broadband Internet access service. ACP benefits may be obtained from any participating provider of your choice including Life Wireless. Only one member of a household can participate in the program and the service cannot be transferred to another family member or individual.

Because many families struggle to afford cell phones and Internet access, both of which are vital to staying connected with their children’s schools, doctors, and employers, among others, the Federal Government offers ACP and another program called Lifeline. Using both doubles your connectivity!

About Lifeline

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Lifeline is a federal program created to help qualified households pay for connectivity services such as wireless and internet plans. As with the Affordable Connectivity Program, only one member of a household can participate in the program and the service cannot be transferred to another family member or individual.

Examples of one household:

  • A married couple that lives together

  • A parent/guardian and child who live together

  • An adult who lives with friends or family who financially support him/her

Each of these are one household and must share one benefit.

Examples of more than one household:

  • Four roommates who live together but do not share money are four households. They can have one benefit each, for a total of four benefits.

  • 30 seniors who live in an assisted-living home are 30 households. They can have one benefit each, for a total of 30 total benefits.

Each state has different eligibility requirements such as receiving government assistance or having a household income that is at or below the federal poverty level for the state in which you reside.

In general though,

you are qualified to receive Lifeline if you participate in any of the programs listed here:

  • Food Stamps or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

  • Medicaid (not Medicare)

  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

  • Section 8 Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)

  • Veteran's Pension or Survivor's Pension Benefit

Additionally, if you are a resident of a Federally-recognized Tribal land, you may qualify under the following programs:

  • Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations

  • Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance

  • Tribally Administered TANF

  • Head Start (if you meet the income-qualifying standards)

Even if you’re paying just $20 a month for cell service, wouldn’t it be great to have that $240 to spend on groceries? If you apply for Lifeline and are approved, you’ll receive:

  • FREE Unlimited Talk & Text

  • FREE 15GB Data (+ more data for California residents)

  • FREE Smartphone (or bring your own)

Pair Lifeline with the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and DOUBLE your connectivity

If you’re approved for Lifeline and you sign up for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), you get two sources of free talk, text, and unlimited data that you can split between two phones. That means free cell service for you and free cell service for someone you love. If your child has been asking for a cell phone, this is a terrific opportunity to provide him or her with talk, text, unlimited data and the ability to stay in touch with you!

Of course, you don’t have to split the service between two phones, you can keep it all on one. But it’s a wonderful option if your spouse, child or relative needs a phone but has been unable to get one due to the expense.

Whichever option you choose – to keep the data on one phone or split it between two – Life Wireless will make sure you receive the free talk, text, and unlimited data to help you stay connected.

Additional, important, details

Life Wireless service is a prepaid service offered to those eligible for ACP discount benefits and those eligible for Lifeline benefits. 

To maintain your service and benefits, you need to:

  • activate your service by calling someone,

  • initiating data usage (by going on Facebook, for example), or

  • by responding to instructions from Life Wireless to activate the service.

To keep your account active, you need to:

use the service at least once during any 30-day period by:

  • calling someone,

  • answering a call from someone other than Life Wireless,

  • sending a text message,

  • using cellular data (again, by going on Facebook or Amazon, for example),

  • purchasing additional service from Life Wireless,

  • or by responding to a direct contact from Life Wireless confirming that you want to continue receiving service from Life Wireless.

Should your service goes unused for 30 days, you will no longer be eligible for Lifeline benefits and your service may be suspended (allowing only 911 calls and calls to the Life Wireless's customer care center), and subject to a 15-day cure period during which you must use the service (as described above) in order to fully re-activate your service, keep your telephone number and remain enrolled in the ACP.

For questions about Life Wireless, visit our Contact Us page here. To enroll now, use the Life Wireless Online Enrollment form.

Fast facts about Life Wireless

Yes, you can add more minutes and data!

You can purchase additional minutes or data one of the following ways:

  • Go to www.LifeWireless.com and click "Add Minutes/Data"

  • If you have a smart phone, go to your MyLifeWireless app and click "Add Minutes".

  • Call Customer Service at 1-888-543-3620, or by dialing 611 on your Life Wireless phone.

  • You can also go to any Moneygram location and use Receive Code: 7924

Yes, you can track your minutes!

Your minutes replenish each month on your anniversary date before end of the day. For example if you signed up and received your minutes on the 12th of the month, your minutes will replenish every month on the 12th of the month.

You can check your account balance the following ways:

  • Go to www.LifeWireless.com and click "My Account"

  • Go to your MyLifeWireless app on your phone, and click "Check Balance"

  • Call Customer Service at 1-888-543-3620, or by dialing 611 on your Life Wireless phone.

Yes, you can keep your current phone number!

If your application is approved, you have the option to keep your current phone number.

Once you receive your Life Wireless phone in the mail, call Life Wireless Customer Service at 1-888-543-3620 and a representative will assist you in keeping your current number. Make sure that you don't call from your Lifeline phone and have your account number and password from your previous carrier handy.

Don’t wait. Get FREE wireless service now!

 

Posted 1 year ago