By: Derek Brawner
April 15, 2023, is fast approaching for all young, middle age and senior adults alike. Tax Day, as most adults call April 15, is the day of the year when taxes must be filed with state and federal departments of revenue and postmarked by midnight. This year, though, taxes will be due by April 18, due to April 15 falling on a Saturday and the following Monday being Emancipation Day.
This gives taxpayers a few more days to get their taxes done, but I suggest not waiting until the last minute like most. Now if you are like me, I bet you waited till the very last minute to file your taxes in 2022. This article is about how the senior/elderly population can go about getting help filing their taxes.
The IRS.gov website has a good amount of information available to help seniors at tax time. Senior taxpayers on a fixed income need to be able to save every penny they can when it comes to preparing, filing and paying their taxes. Available on IRS.gov, IRS Free File provides free online tax preparation for taxpayers with income less than $73,000 a year. Seniors and retirees can browse through 10 brand-name tax-software providers to find the right help. IRS Free File also offers electronic filing, and senior taxpayers can use smart phones or tablets to file their taxes for free by accessing IRS.gov/freefile on their device. Senior taxpayers might even be able to file their state taxes for free or for a small fee.
For elderly taxpayers who don’t feel comfortable or have electronic devices such as a smart phone, tablet or computer, there are also local programs seniors can go to for free help. VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) and TCE (Tax Counseling for the Elderly) are grant-based programs offered by the federal government on the local level to help seniors with their taxes. Seniors should also check with their local senior service agencies, libraries and churches for any tax preparation help they might offer for free or for a small fee.
With that much tax help available for seniors, there’s no need to be scared when it comes to filing taxes. There are some programs out there to help.
Derek Brawner is a community and broker liaison at Health AllianceTM. He’s a small-town guy living in the big city of Springfield, married with two kids, a huge Star Wars fan and a griller extraordinaire.
Like this article? Feel free to respond to [email protected]. Thanks for reading!