Free Tax Filing Help: VITA and Other IRS-Backed Programs
Direct answer: The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax preparation, certified by the IRS, for households generally earning below a set income threshold, along with people with disabilities and limited English speakers.
Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) operates similarly but focuses specifically on taxpayers age 60 and older, often with particular expertise in retirement and pension-related tax questions.
Both programs are staffed by IRS-certified volunteers and are specifically valuable for ensuring commonly missed credits — like the EITC or Child Tax Credit — are calculated and claimed correctly, since a self-prepared return can easily miss eligibility for a credit the filer didn't know existed.
Locations are typically found through the IRS's VITA/TCE site locator tool, often hosted at libraries, community centers, or local nonprofit offices during tax season.
Try the Benefit Trim Score to see your own estimated eligibility across 20 programs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is VITA really free?
Yes, VITA provides completely free, IRS-certified tax preparation for qualifying households.
Who is Tax Counseling for the Elderly for?
TCE focuses specifically on taxpayers age 60 and older, with particular expertise in retirement and pension-related tax questions.
Can VITA help me claim credits I didn't know I qualified for?
Yes — a key benefit of VITA is catching commonly missed credits like the EITC that a self-prepared return might overlook.