It's Time to File Your 2022 Tax Returns!
Tax season is upon us! The IRS announced that tax returns are due on April 18th this year, and they will start accepting electronically filed tax returns on January 23rd. Taxpayers can already begin submitting their tax returns online now.
Are you worried about having to pay high fees to file your tax returns? There are many high-quality, free options for you to use.
Many people are able to do their own taxes for free using the free software available through the IRS Free File program at https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile. The software asks you questions about your income and family, and with the answers you give it prepares the tax forms for you to submit electronically to the IRS.
For people who want the help of a trained tax preparer, but who don’t want to lose many hundreds of dollars from their refund to preparer fees, there are free options through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counselling for the Elderly (TCE) programs. You can find the free locations closest to you here: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for-qualifying-taxpayers.
The biggest VITA provider in Philadelphia is the Campaign for Working Families (CWF), and soon you’ll be able to learn how to get their help to do your taxes at https://www.cwfphilly.org/.
For people who want free assistance from the comfort of their own home, there are also options for getting free remote tax preparation assistance. Remote tax assistance is where you upload your income and identity documents through your computer or smartphone and then trained VITA volunteers prepare your tax forms for you. You can request free remote tax preparation assistance through https://www.getyourrefund.org/en
If you decide to pay a person or a company to do your taxes, make sure that:
(a) They give you a written statement saying how much they will charge before you give them your personal information and decide whether to use them or not.
(b) They put their names and PTIN (Preparer Tax Identification Number) on the return. Every person and company that charges people to do tax preparation must have a PTIN that they put on the return.
(c) They review the return with you and explain all the numbers that they have put on it for you before you sign it, and they give you a copy of the return after it has been filed.
(d) They give you something in writing saying that they prepared your tax return for you and how much they charged you.
But why pay someone when there are so many free options?
Contact our Taxpayer Support Clinic if you have more questions on how to file your 2022 returns: https://philalegal.org/taxpayer-support-clinic.
