It’s Tax Season, Here’s How to Get Free Help in Preparing Your Return
While we are certainly not tax professionals, we would like to help you during this confusing time by pointing you in the right direction of where to find information and how to file your taxes for free!
As we are just starting tax season and many are trying to figure out what to do, advertisers are showcasing their best for the paid service such as H&R Block, Turbo Tax, etc. but shouldn’t there be easier and even free services? Especially for those who will be filing under a 1099? Well there are! While the IRS requires us to file taxes each year, they don’t require that we have to pay to file them. That’s where some free services come in.
One free service that is offered is directly through the IRS’ Free File service this allows you to prepare and file your taxes through a guided format at an IRS partner site, listed in the link above. Another free service is offered through Cash App Taxes which was previously run through Credit Karma. Cash App allows you to completely prepare and file your taxes for free regardless of deductions. They also offer protection software to limit any audits performed on your filing when done so correctly.
Additional Tax Preparation Resources
- Sponsored by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), VITA provides free income tax preparation assistance to individuals and families with a household income of $60,000 a year or less. Learn more.
- Prepare your taxes free online through MyFreeTaxes.com, a partnership of United Way and H&R Block. All you need to get started is a copy of your W-2, which can be uploaded from your smartphone.
- If your adjusted gross income is less than $65,000 ($95,000 if filing jointly) and you live in Berkeley, Charleston, or Dorchester counties, visit SCThrive.org/filetaxes/ or call 800-726-8774 for free taxpayer preparation assistance.
- Free tax help for taxpayers 60 or older is available through the IRS Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program. These IRS-certified volunteers can answer questions related to pensions and retirement-related issues. Most TCE sites are operated by the AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide program, which offers free tax preparation help from February 1 through April 15. You don’t have to be an AARP member. Call 888-227-7669 toll free or visit the Tax-Aide Site Locator to find a location in South Carolina.
All of these programs are great options to assist you in the tax process. And while there are benefits to going with a tax specialist company to assist you, such as if you have many deductions or unique tax filing paperwork, utilizing a free service is relatively simple for someone who’s held only a couple of jobs and has a simple tax return to file.
Regardless of whichever be sure to prepare and file your taxes by Monday April, 18th 2022 to avoid any fines or penalties from the IRS due to late filing.
