Free Software & Step-by-Step Help Available to All Americans Making $58,000 or Less; Online Forms Available with No Income Restrictions
WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 20, 2014) – Comprehensive tax preparation and e-filing is available to 70 percent of taxpayers, thanks to Free File – a partnership between the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and a coalition of industry-leading tax software companies called the Free File Alliance.
Every taxpayer with a 2013 Adjusted Gross Income of $58,000 or less may visit www.IRS.gov/freefile to prepare, complete and e-file their federal tax returns at no cost using software from Free File Alliance members. Free File also offers a basic federal e-filing service – called “Free File Fillable Forms” – which has no income limitations.
“Free File is here to make tax time less taxing for 70 percent of Americans,” said Tim Hugo, executive director of the Free File Alliance. “If you made $58,000 or less in 2013, Free File is your portal to free tax software from more than a dozen of the country’s top companies. It’s all online at www.IRS.gov/FreeFile, and unlike commercial products, there are no pop-up ads when you use Free File to access tax software.”
Hugo continued, “Software from the Free File Alliance provides step-by-step help and calculations to make tax-filing quick, simple and convenient. After you e-file, you’ll receive a confirmation email so you can rest assured that you’re done for the year, and you’ll get your refund in as few as 10 days. Free File is fast, safe and – most importantly – completely free.”
Free File is available at www.IRS.gov/freefile, which provides a list of free tax software offered by Free File Alliance member companies. Users may either choose the company that fits their tax situation or utilize the “Help me Find Free File Software” tool. After selecting a company, users will be transferred to the company’s website to prepare, complete and electronically file their federal income tax returns. The service is also available in Spanish.
Free File Fillable Forms, which allow taxpayers who are familiar with tax law and need no preparation assistance to complete and file their federal income tax electronically, are also available at www.IRS.gov/freefile.
Free File has already saved taxpayers an estimated $1.2 billion in preparation and filing costs since the program began in 2003. Free File Alliance member companies have continually worked with the IRS to strengthen the Free File program, and taxpayers have consistently reported that it is user-friendly and efficient. Responding to a 2009 IRS survey, 96 percent of users said they found Free File easy to use, while 98 percent said they would recommend the program to others.
About the Free File Alliance
The Free File Alliance, a coalition of 14 industry-leading tax software companies, has partnered with the IRS since 2003 to help low and middle-income Americans prepare, complete and e-file their federal tax returns online. The Free File Alliance is committed to giving 70 percent of Americans free access to the industry’s top online tax preparation software. About 40 million returns have been filed through Free File since its inception. For more information, visit www.freefilealliance.org.
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Contact: Katie Morgan, katiemorgan@rational360.com, (202) 470-5362
