Low Income Tax Help

The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) Programs provide help preparing your for those who qualify.

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program provides free help with tax preparation to taxpayers who cannot prepare their own taxes that fall into the to low- to moderate-income bracket - generally considered to be $49,000 and below. Certified volunteers sponsored by a number of organizations get training to aid in the preparation of basic tax returns in areas across the country. VITA sites are for the most part found in community and neighborhood centers, libraries, schools, shopping malls, and other convenient and public locations. The majority of these locations also offer free electronic filing (e-filing). To find the VITA site nearest to you, call 1-800-829-1040.

The Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) Program gives free tax help to taxpayers 60 years and older. Qualified volunteers from non-profit groups offer free tax analysis and basic income tax return preparation for senior citizens. Tax-preparing volunteers are often retired individuals working for non-profit organizations that receive grants from the IRS.

As a part of the TCE Program, AARP provides the Tax-Aide counseling program at over 7,000 sites nationwide during the filing season. "Trained and certified AARP Tax-Aide volunteer counselors help people of low-to-middle income, with special attention to those age 60 and older," says IRS.gov.

For more information on TCE, call 1-800-829-1040. To find the nearest AARP Tax-Aide site, call 1-888-227-7669 or go to AARP's website.

The military also has a VITA Program. The Armed Forces Tax Council (AFTC) is made up of tax program coordinators for the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. The AFTC runs the operation of the military tax programs worldwide, and is the IRS's main conduit for reaching military personnel and their families.

"Airmen, soldiers, sailors, marines, guardsmen, and their families worldwide receive free tax preparation assistance at offices within their installations," says the IRS on their site. "These VITA sites provide free tax advice, tax preparation, and assistance to military members and their families. They are trained and equipped to address military specific tax issues, such as combat zone tax benefits and the effect of the new Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) guidelines."

Low Income Tax Help

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