IRS Has New Online Tool For Lower-Paid Taxpayers

by Leroy Baker, Tax-News.com, New York

08 February 2012

As part of its effort to improve service to taxpayers, the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced the availability of a new online tool to help taxpayers to find more easily a location for volunteer tax preparation assistance.

The new tool, available on the IRS website, makes it easier for qualified individuals to find free help through the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programme. Volunteers at VITA locations generally offer tax preparation for people with incomes of USD50,000 or less free of charge.

On the website, a locator prompts users to enter a zip code to search thousands of free tax preparation sites, narrowing the results to a selected radius. VITA sites are listed by location name, address, phone number, days and hours of operation, and the language-assistance options offered.

The IRS has pointed out that the VITA programme has enjoyed substantial support since it was created in 1969. For example, more than 3m tax returns were prepared during the 2011 filing season by volunteers working under either the VITA programme or the Tax Counselling for the Elderly (TCE) programme.

The TCE programme provides free tax service for all taxpayers, but with priority assistance to taxpayers aged 60 and older.

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