The Internal Revenue Service reminds last-minute taxpayers that they can use IRS Free File or go to a community tax-help site for free tax preparation and assistance.
Meanwhile, the IRS also announced that its toll-free telephone lines will be available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 8, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 15. The toll-free line is 800-829-1040.
IRS Free File
IRS Free File is available for anyone who earned $64,000 or less in 2016. Through a partnership between the IRS and the Free File Alliance, 12 tax software companies, taxpayers can use their tax software to prepare and e-file their tax return free. More than 70 percent of all taxpayers are eligible for the software products.
Active duty military personnel with incomes of $64,000 or less may use any IRS Free File software product without regard to the criteria. Taxpayers can use IRS Free File Fillable Forms, the electronic version of IRS paper forms. The Fillable Forms option is best for people who are comfortable preparing their own tax return.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Taxpayers have the option to prepare their return at any time and schedule a tax payment as late as the April 18 deadline. Taxpayers who cannot meet the April tax filing deadline can also use IRS Free File (with no income restrictions) to request an automatic six-month extension until Monday, Oct. 16, 2017. IRS Free File, available through IRS.gov/FreeFile, will be available through Oct. 16.
Community Tax Help
Taxpayers who qualify can obtain free tax preparation at nearly 12,000 community sites nationwide. These free tax help sites are generally located in nearby shopping malls, schools and neighborhood centers. Community tax help consists of two programs, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, or VITA program, and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly, or TCE program. Both programs provide free tax preparation and assistance.
Before visiting a VITA or TCE site, taxpayers should review Publication 3676-B to be aware of the services provided. To find the nearest VITA or TCE site, use the VITA and TCE locator tool available on IRS.gov, download the IRS mobile app IRS2GO or call 800-906-9887.
Saturday phone hours
To help meet the high demand to its toll-free call center that typically comes as the tax deadline nears, the IRS is extending its customer service hours.
The first two weeks of April are typically some of the busiest times of the year for IRS telephone assistors, as they field thousands of calls per hour. The IRS reminds taxpayers that most questions can be answered online by using the numerous tools available at IRS.gov.
Please remember that all IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers now require an appointment for most services. Instead of going directly to a local IRS office with a tax issue, taxpayers should call 844-545-5640 to reach an IRS representative, who is trained to either help them resolve it or schedule an appointment to get them the help they need.
The tax deadline of Tuesday, April 18, is later this year due to several factors. The usual April 15 deadline falls on Saturday this year, which would give taxpayers until the following Monday to file. However, Emancipation Day, a holiday in the District of Columbia, is observed on Monday, April 17, giving taxpayers nationwide an additional day to file. By law, District of Columbia holidays impact tax deadlines for everyone in the same way federal holidays do.
More resources are available on IRS.gov.