Free Tax Help!
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax help to people who generally make $57,000 or less, persons with disabilities and limited English speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals. The AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program offers free tax preparation to anyone, with a special focus on taxpayers who are 50 or older or who have low to moderate income.
The IRS provides a Find a Location for Free Tax Help page. The NJ 2-1-1 Partnership maintains a NJ Free Tax Assistance Locations page. South Jersey residents in Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May and Cumberland Counties, as well as residents in Philadelphia and Montgomery County, can get tax preparation help from the non-profit Campaign for Working Families. Due to COVID-19, many tax preparation sites may be closed for an undetermined period.
Non-profits, advocacy groups and government agencies can participate in outreach efforts by promoting the NJ EITC Page and the NJ EITC Marketing Toolkit. Groups interested in conducting an outreach campaign or promoting EITC on social media should also visit the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ Tax Credit Outreach Kit.
Employers are encouraged to distribute copies of “Have You Told Your Employees About the Earned Income Credit (EIC)?”, IRS Notice 1015. New Jersey employers must give written notice to employees. The New Jersey Division of Taxation also publishes a statement for employees.
Smartphone users can download IRS2Go, an official IRS mobile app. You can use it to check your tax refund status, find free tax preparation services, or even send a payment to Uncle Sam.