File Taxes for Free at LA County Libraries

Once again it’s that time of year: whether they are sitting down to the kitchen table with pencils, papers and receipts or are assisted by tax preparers and accountants, Americans are in the final flurry of tax time.

Libraries across Los Angeles County, however, are working to ease the pain by providing a new kind of pocket(book) protector—a pilot program from the Internal Revenue Service offers free tax preparation assistance. The website www.MyFreeTaxes.com, guides the user through a step by step process for filing taxes and provides a toll-free number for personal assistance. The site is available to use for free for qualified individuals or families with a combined income of $58,000 or less in 2013. The site will be accessible from public access computers and at library catalogue computers across the county, and libraries also will be prepared with tax forms and extended computer times.

In-person assistance is also being offered at select libraries to provide free tax preparation help to people who make $52,000 or less until April 15. IRS-certified volunteers are also providing free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals in local communities. The program specializes in assisting disabled taxpayers, those with low income and non-English speaking taxpayers.

Regardless of your income, you can find ways to save money while filing taxes thanks to a host of free materials, events and resources compiled by Los Angeles County Libraries. The only question that remains (hopefully) is — what will you do with your tax refund?

For more information visit the Los Angeles County Library’s Tax Information webpage.