Tax time is here again
Make tax time easier for yourself and your older adult by getting free help from tax experts.
Many older adults have pensions, pre-death life insurance benefits, IRA or 401K savings, or other financial assets.
This can make preparing and filing their taxes more complicated.
To make it easier to do their taxes, you may want to consider getting expert help from an IRS-sponsored tax center at no charge.
We found two IRS-sponsored programs that offer no-cost tax help, show how to find a location near you, and recommend three important things to do before visiting one of these tax centers.
2 programs provide free, expert tax preparation help for seniors
The IRS' Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs provide free basic tax return preparation to those who qualify.
These two free IRS programs are great places to get qualified tax help at no charge.
The IRS-certified volunteers who provide tax counseling are often retired individuals associated with non-profit organizations that receive grants from the IRS.
VITA and TCE sites are usually located at community and neighborhood centers, libraries, schools, shopping malls, and other convenient locations.
1. Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program
The Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program offers free tax help for all taxpayers, especially those 60 years or older.
They specialize in answering questions about pensions and retirement-related issues that are common among seniors.
Note: A majority of the TCE sites are operated by the AARP Foundation's Tax Aide program. Between January and April, locate the nearest AARP TCE Tax-Aide site here.
2. Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax help to people who generally make $56,000 or less, persons with disabilities, and limited English speaking taxpayers.
For those that qualify, IRS-certified volunteers help with basic income tax return preparation and electronic filing.
Are the IRS-certified volunteers knowledgeable and trustworthy?
All VITA/TCE volunteers who prepare returns must take and pass tax law training that meets or exceeds IRS standards.
This includes training on maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of all taxpayer information.
In addition, the IRS requires a quality review check for every return prepared at a VITA/TCE site before the return is filed.
3 things to do before visiting a TCE or VITA tax help center
1. Make sure the services you need are offered by TCE or VITA
Before considering getting help from TCE or VITA, check here to make sure the services you need are offered.
And after entering your zip code in the IRS locator, you’ll be able to see information about nearby locations and important details like what languages are offered and whether or not you’ll need to make an appointment.
2. Call ahead to make sure volunteers are available to provide needed services at that location
Call ahead to make sure the local VITA or TCE center has available volunteers that can provide the specific services needed for your older adult’s tax situation.
Because each location depends on volunteer expertise, they can’t guarantee having every service at every location and time slot.
3. Bring all necessary documents
Review the information on the IRS’ What to Bring page to make sure you have all the required documents and information.
The volunteers will need all this info in order to help your older adult with their taxes.
Next Step Find a local IRS-sponsored TCE or VITA free tax help center
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About the Author
Connie Chow
Connie was a hands-on caregiver for her grandmother for 20 years. (Grandma made it to 101 years old!) She knows how challenging, overwhelming, and all-consuming caring for an older adult can be. She also knows how important support is — especially in the form of practical solutions, valuable resources, and self-care tips.
I am 79 years old and want to receive the balance on my IRA of [redacted] on a traditional IRA. I don’t think I paid the interest on my mandatory distribution payouts. I would like that checked out and made right. I don’t know what interest rate to use. I live on Social Security alone, no other income. my income from SS is [redacted]. I need help getting this taken care of.
We’re not financial professionals so we can’t provide any advice on this. You might want to speak with a financial advisor to find out more.
Trying to locate free tax help for this year (it’s Jan 2021) for my 89yr old grandmother in Oklahoma.
Use the links in the article above to find tax help centers in your grandmother’s local area. Be sure to call ahead to find out about hours and services offered since they vary by location.
How much can I use as standard deduction on 1040 R . I am filing as married ,over 65 ,both.
We’re not tax professionals, so it would be best to contact a tax advisor to get an answer for your specific situation. The links above should help you find a tax professional who can help.
We had an appointment to get our taxes done but cause of the virus they canceled. We get our property taxes froze but you have to have income tax done first. Can we still have our property taxes frozen since we can’t get our taxes done yet?
Rules around tax payments have been changing over the last weeks. Since the IRS has postponed taxes until July 15th, hopefully that resolves your tax issue. Here’s the IRS announcement — https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/payment-deadline-extended-to-july-15-2020
I used to report distributions of income from my family trust on Schedule B of Form 1040, but now there is no Schedule B that I can fin in the new list of IRS 1040 Forms Can you get me to a Schedule B? If not, what form do I use now for this income?
We’re not tax professionals, so it would be best to contact a tax advisor to get an answer for your specific situation. The links above should help you find a tax professional who can help.
I received Social security disability and for recreation visit casinos in Louisiana. Can I file my win/loss statements for 2017 and 2018 at any of these places?
We’re not tax professionals, so it would be best to contact a tax advisor to get an answer for your specific situation. The links above should help you find a tax professional who can help.
We’re not tax professionals, so it would be best to contact a tax advisor to get an answer for your specific situation. The links above should help you find a tax professional who can help.
The IRS states “Depending on your filing status and the amount of income you made during the year, you may not be required by law to file a return with the IRS. However, even if you do not have to file, it may still be in your best interest to submit a tax return.” Here are the guidelines from the IRS on how to determine whether or not to file a tax return — https://www.irs.com/articles/who-has-file-federal-income-tax-return
I went out yesterday to Holy Apostles Church (one of the listed sites for free tax preparation services) and found NO ONE there. So I went on to Senior Center on Hancock and was told that I had to have an appointment and they were all FULL UP. The receptionist there gave me forms and places to go and I gave up for the day. I am deaf 82 year old fart on Social Security and do NOT feel like I’m respected!!! Why is it so difficult to get free tax services? I’m gonna have to go online and pay $$$ (can’t afford it) for my tax preparation and I pay NO taxes nor do I get any refund….
I’m so sorry this happened. They do ask people to call first because availability and services at each location will depend on the availability of volunteers. Perhaps on another day you’ll have a chance to call some of the other places on the list that you received from the Senior Center and will be able to find free tax help from another organization.