By: Ashley Wicker
April 15, 2023, is quickly approaching for all young, middle age and senior adults alike. Tax Day, as most adults call April 15th, is the day of the year when taxes must be filed with state and federal departments of revenue and postmarked by midnight. This year, taxes will actually be due on April 18 because April 15 is on a Saturday and the following Monday is 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. I know this can be a daunting task for some, but there is help out there for our senior/elderly population.
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 that 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. IRS Free File offers 10 brand-name tax-software providers to assist seniors and retirees. IRS Free File also can be filed electronically. 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.
I realize that some elderly taxpayers aren’t tech savvy or don’t feel comfortable filing their own taxes. Thankfully, there are 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. You can search by ZIP code here. According to the IRS free tax help locator you’ll find at that link, both Natco Credit Union and Ivy Tech are registered as VITA participants in Richmond, Ind. Seniors should also check with their local senior service agencies, libraries and churches for any tax preparations help they might offer for free or for a small fee.
Hopefully, this spreads awareness of some of the help that is available for those who could use the assistance. Happy filing!
Ashley Wicker is a community and broker liaison at Reid Health Alliance Medicare. Born and raised in Fayette County, she is a devoted mother who enjoys the outdoors, cooking and the arts.
At Reid Health Alliance Medicare, our team is here to partner with you and help the members of the communities we serve together. For us, it’s all about helping community members make sure they have the information they need every step of the way as they navigate through the healthcare coverage system and life in general. Have a community outreach need or upcoming event we should be a part of? Or like this article? Feel free to respond to [email protected]. Thanks for reading!