Get free tax help with VITA
Filing your taxes can be challenging, but you don’t have to do them alone. Fortunately, there are free resources like the IRS’s VITA and TCE programs to help you.
Filing your taxes can be challenging, but you don’t have to do them alone. There are free resources to help you. The IRS and nonprofits offer free tax preparation services to qualified individuals, including low-income individuals and families, seniors, veterans, and people who speak limited English.
Important deadlines
- Make a plan – Tax filings are due April 15, 2025, and October 15, 2025, for extensions. If you file on time, the IRS will pay you interest on your refund. If you file late or you don’t pay your taxes, you will pay a failure-to-file penalty plus a failure-to-pay penalty. And, you will have interest charged on what you owe.
- Disaster relief – If you live in a federally declared disaster area, the IRS may grant you an extension. For example, people in Southern California who have been affected by the wildfires that began on Jan. 7 have until Oct. 15, 2025, to file their federal tax returns. Find the areas with extensions and the revised tax filing deadline for affected residents on the IRS website.
Where to go for help
- Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) – Offers free tax preparation services for qualifying taxpayers. The providers, which include places such as churches, colleges, and community centers, are operated by IRS partners and are staffed by IRS-certified volunteers. Use the IRS’s VITA Locator to find a site in your area.
- Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) – Offers free tax help for taxpayers 60 years of age and older, specializing in pensions and retirement-related issues. Most TCE sites are operated by the AARP Foundation’s Tax Aide program. Use the AARP Site Locator or call 888-227-7669. You can also use the IRS’s TCE Locator.
- Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) Service – You can apply for an ITIN for free at some VITA sites. Each person applying for an ITIN must come to the appointment with their ITIN application package. Some VITA sites offer free Certifying Acceptance Agent Services to assist eligible taxpayers with their ITIN applications. Find a VITA site with ITIN services in California.
- Self-Prep Assistance – VITA volunteers help taxpayers prepare their own electronic tax filings for free at VITA centers or remotely at GetYourRefund.org.
Before your visit
- Make an appointment – Schedule an appointment early, ideally in February. Before going to a VITA or TCE site, make sure the site offers the tax preparation services you require.
- Gather materials – Review this documents checklist so you have all the required documents and information needed.
- Choose a bank account – Filing taxes electronically and using direct deposit makes the tax filing process easier and faster. Have your account and routing numbers ready.
Free tax filing myth busters
There are many myths out there about filing taxes. Don’t follow bad advice from unqualified sources. Here are the most common reasons people choose not to use free tax services, but perhaps should:
- Make too little to file – File your tax return anyway and claim credits for a refund. Qualifying taxpayers may be eligible for these tax credits:
- Tax refund will affect my benefits – Tax refunds are not considered income and will not affect your federal or state benefits.
- Didn’t file last year – Missed a year? Not a problem, you can claim up to three outstanding years.
- Own a business – If you are self-employed or an independent contractor you are not excluded from qualifying for free tax preparation assistance.