Finance & Career

Tax-Preparation Assistance

1 min read
Tax Finance Papers

You do not have to tackle taxes alone. There are many organizations that offer tax-preparation assistance. Some services are entirely free, others have low-cost fees, and many are market price.

Resources

There are several resources to help you file your taxes yourself and other resources that prepare and file your taxes for you.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offers free, in-person tax assistance with an IRS representative or employee. Visit www.irs.gov/help/irs-face-to-face-saturday-help for more information. In some states, IRS Direct File is available for filers to complete their own taxes. Unfortunately, Alabama does not currently offer this service. Those outside of Alabama cant visit www.irs.gov/filing/irs-direct-file-for-free for more information.

Some organizations partner with the IRS to offer free tax-preparation assistance through the volunteer income tax assistance (VITA) program or the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program. VITA offers tax help to individuals who make $67,000 or less per year, people with disabilities, and limited English-speaking people. TCE provides free tax help to people 60 and older. Both programs use trained volunteers to assist people with tax preparation. The detailed information can be found at www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for-qualifying-taxpayers. Some agencies offer free or low-cost options for individuals who may not qualify for VITA or TCE. Affordable tax preparation services and resources in Alabama include the following: