Every American with an income of $56,000 or less is now able to use free online tax preparation services available on the IRS website, www.irs.gov, before the April 15th tax deadline. The online program offers free step-by-step preparation and filing services for 70 percent of American taxpayers.
"The Free File Alliance walks taxpayers through the filing process to make it quick, easy and secure," said Tim Hugo, executive director of the Free File Alliance. "With the recession trimming budgets everywhere, this program helps Americans by offering essential tax preparation at no cost for all 98 million Americans making $56,000 or less."
Taxpayers who would like to take advantage of the Free File service can visit the IRS website, www.irs.gov. By clicking on the "free file" icon on the left side of the page, users can find e-filing offers from participating companies and choose the one that best fits their needs. Taxpayers are then transferred to the company's website, where they receive the necessary help to prepare, complete and electronically file their federal income tax returns, just as they would on paper.
The Free File service is simple and user-friendly, and if used with direct deposit, it can provide a refund in as little as 10 days. Three of the 19 participating software companies now offer the service in Spanish.
The Free File Alliance is a coalition of 19 private tax software companies that have partnered with the IRS to provide free, electronic federal tax preparation services for millions of Americans. More than 24 million taxpayers have used Free File Alliance since it began in 2003. According to an IRS survey, 98 percent of taxpayers who used Free File last year said they would recommend the program to others.
