Filing State taxes just like Federal taxes can be a cumbersome process if you don’t seem to know how to file your taxes without payment out of pocket or where to bring your tax statements too. This is why it is helpful to know ways to file your state taxes without paying those out-of-pocket costs. If you are under a certain tax bracket and/or have a certain size of family; you can qualify for free community tax preparation.
Some community tax preparers will only do federal tax returns. This is because each state has its own specific tax rules that require additional training and access to assist with it. Some states are nearly the same as federal rules and others can differ greatly. Most community tax preparers that offer free tax preparation services are volunteers who may have limited knowledge of the tax preparation process.
One example is an agency called VITA. However, you will need to research your city services to see if there are free tax preparation services. One way you can do this is by going to your city website homepage and searching. Another way is through the IRS web page and clicking on “charities and non-prophets.” These local sources may be able to direct you or assist with free state tax preparation as well. This website will also list links with tax information to help gain perspective on tax preparation if you wanted to try to complete your own state taxes.
If you are savvy at keeping your tax information and balancing your expenses; you may want to file your own taxes through your state. Many states offer this option under the states taxes section. To find out your state taxes policy; you can start by going to their website or calling them to gather more information on the free filing process. Their website page will likely have a “contact us” section specifically related to taxes.
Once you learn about what is needed for preparing your taxes; you’ve taken control of your future and tax refund. But remember to accurately complete your taxes or you may get a call or delay in processing. If you want to increase tax returns you can also learn more about it through doing your taxes. Now, if you are busy like many and don’t want to fuss with taxes and still don’t want to pay; the local tax preparers who are most likely good volunteering citizens are a source of help.