Every year, there is the tax season when everyone needs to file their taxes. It’s not the most fun time of the year, but something is mandatory. Filing taxes can be confusing, but do you know you can get free tax assistance?

Many times, people apply for tax assistance and pay more than needed. Most of us don’t realize that we can get this service for free, which is why we are here today. We want to share with you the best methods to get free tax assistance.

Before you spend hundreds of dollars, please check out these amazing free alternatives. Read on and see if you qualify!

1. Direct File

This new service was introduced in 2024, and the IRS says it is still in the testing period. This service will work best for those who have simpler tax returns, and the residents of the following states will be able to file directly and for free with the IRS: Massachusetts, South Dakota, California, Arizona, Texas, Washington, Nevada, Wyoming, and Florida.

At first, the IRS will limit this service, and only a small group of people will be able to use it. They do this because they have to check if it is efficient and if it works okay. But after all of this is done, the IRS will open it up for all the states that were mentioned above.

Now, let’s see if you qualify for Direct File. To participate, you need to have some specific income streams and also claim only specific deductions and tax credits. The Direct File pilot program can cover W-2 income, interest of $1,500 or less, Social Security and railroad retirement income, and unemployment.

One thing to remember is that the Direct File program helps you with free tax assistance but does not help you with state returns. It will only take care of the federal tax returns. To access the direct file, just go to the IRS website, and you will find it there. You can access it through a desktop, mobile, laptop, or tablet.

2. IRS Free File

Another solution from the IRS is their partnership with Free File. The Free File Alliance is a nonprofit organization that will let you access software from tax prep companies for free. And there are a few big names here, such as TaxSlayer and TaxAct. So, why not get free tax assistance if this is a valid option?

Families and individuals with adjusted gross incomes of $79,000 or lower in 2023 normally become eligible to file taxes in 2024. However, each collaborating provider may set additional qualifying requirements, such as age or residence. Not every Free File service offers no-cost state returns, so always check the fine print.

If you are not eligible for this, you can still access the IRS’s free fillable forms. They can be accessed by anyone, no matter their income, but there is a catch. In this case, you can fill out the form, but you don’t get any guidance at all. So be careful about it if you are not sure what you should do.

Since January 12, 2024, the Free File program can be accessed through the IRS website. This service is open until mid-October, when the tax season ends. Also, since January 29, 2024, you can also access the free fillable forms.

3. MilTax

If you are a veteran or have worked in the military, we have some good news for you. It is your chance to receive free tax assistance by accessing MilTax. This is an e-filing software provided by the U.S. Department of Defense, and it should help service members file federal taxes and also state income tax returns completely for free.

The IRS says that in order to be eligible, you need to be a veteran, a military retiree, or a military survivor. But the advantage of this software is that, besides the basic free tax assistance, it is specially designed for the needs and tax scenarios that apply to military life. This will help you not miss any allowances or deductions.

If you want to find out more about this software and its free tax assistance, go to the Military OneSource website. Here, you can get any helpful information that you might need.

4. Tax Counseling for the Elderly

Taxes can be pretty confusing, and they can become even more confusing after you retire. At least at first, when you are still getting used to the new process. But as you age, you might feel like you can’t file taxes properly anymore, and you might want some help.

Hopefully, you can get free tax assistance through the Tax Counseling for the Elderly program. This program has IRS-certified volunteers who will provide free assistance for older taxpayers. Most of them are also retired people who are associated with non-profit organizations. For their work, nonprofit organizations receive grants from the IRS.

If you want to benefit from this program, you first need to be eligible. And in order to be eligible, you don’t need to fill up many check boxes; all you need to be is 60 or older, and you are good to go.

If you want to receive free tax assistance, you will need to learn where and when you can finish the TCE preparation because you will need an appointment. For this, you can use their online tool, the IRS online locator tool.

5. GetYourRefund.org

Another way to get free tax assistance is to use GetYourRefund.org. This program was developed by Code for America in partnership with the IRS and will help you get in touch with IRS-certified volunteers who will be there to help you with everything necessary to file your taxes properly.

Anyone making less than $66,000 is eligible, and you need an original copy of your Social Security card or taxpayer identification number. Tax preparation professionals can also assist you in filing tax returns from 2020 to 2022 if you are overdue.

All you have to do is upload your tax documents to the website, and soon enough, a tax preparer will take care of them. You will have some calls where you will need to provide more information to the tax preparer, and the whole process from start to finish will take about 3 weeks.

We are aware that free tax assistance sounds too good to be true, but as you can see, this is as real as it gets. There are numerous services that will help you file taxes, and if you are eligible, you should take advantage of them.

So next time you feel like you can take care of your taxes alone, get help from all of these free resources. They are all legit and work with the IRS, so why not?

Do you know of any other ways you can get free tax assistance? If yes, you can share them with our community in the comments! Doing taxes has never been so easy!

If you want to learn more about how to do taxes, this book might help you: Taxes For Dummies: 2022 Edition

You should also read: 7 Important Tax Documents To Never Throw Away