It’s that time again. Time to prepare your taxes. Sigh.
The good news for older adults is that there are good –free!–options for tax prep help. Even with the pandemic still lingering, there are some opportunities for in-person (socially distanced) assistance, as well as low and no contact help.
Another bit of good news is that IRS just announced that the deadline to file federal taxes has been extended by one month. Instead of April 15th, federal tax returns are not due until May 17, 2021.
For free help preparing your federal tax returns, there are a few options, described below. The tax assistance programs are well-established and respected (in fact, two of the programs below are IRS-operated) with large teams of IRS-certified volunteers.
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
VITA focuses their tax prep assistance on helping specific groups, including: older adults with an annual income of less than $57,000 per year, those with disabilities and those with limited English. If you fit in one of these categories, VITA’s IRA-certified volunteers can help you prepare a basic tax return.
Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE)
Unlike VITA, Tax Counseling for the Elderly does not limit their services to those below a particular income level. TCE’s tax preparation services are available to anyone 60 and older, regardless of income. Plus, their IRS-certified volunteers have expertise in matters specific to older tax filers, such as pension and Social Security income related issues.
AARP Tax Aide Program
AARP’s Tax Aide Program focuses their efforts on tax filers who are 50 and older with low to moderate incomes. This year, they are offering no contact, low contact or in-person tax preparation assistance. They even have an option where they will provide tax preparation software for you to prepare your own taxes (with their coaching, if needed).
Though in-person tax-aide assistance through AARP is usually only available between January and April each year (this year they will operate through May), they do offer year round assistance online.
When trying to locate one of the above tax prep programs close to you, you may notice that there is quite a bit of overlap. VITA/TCE share the same locator tool from the IRS while AARP’s Tax Aide program actually operates the majority of TCE sites.
To locate programs near you, use the VITA Locator Tool (telephone: 800-906-9887) or AARP Site Locator Tool (telephone: 888-227-7669).
One last thing, before you head to your appointment, don’t forget to gather the necessary documents to complete your tax return.
Taxes are not fun, but hopefully, these resources will help make the daunting task of doing your taxes a little easier. Get it done and then celebrate! You won’t have to do your taxes again for another year! Good luck!
[Read about what women over 50 should be thinking about when it comes to their money]
