The IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs offer free basic tax return preparation to qualified individuals.
The VITA program (sponsored by United Way) offers free tax help to people who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns, including:
- – People who generally make $66,000 or less
- – Persons with disabilities; and
- – Limited English-speaking taxpayers
In addition to VITA, the TCE program (sponsored by AARP Foundation Tax-Aide) offers free tax help, particularly for those who are 60 years of age and older, specializing in questions about pensions and retirement-related issues unique to seniors.
While the IRS manages the VITA and TCE programs, the VITA/TCE sites are operated by IRS partners and staffed by volunteers who want to make a difference in their communities. The IRS-certified volunteers who provide tax counseling are often retired individuals associated with non-profit organizations that receive grants from the IRS.
Please note: There are some tax issues that are beyond the scope of our volunteer training. Our volunteers are trained to handle most tax situations for retired moderate to low income taxpayers. We cannot prepare returns for taxpayers with rental income or small businesses with employees or inventory.