The IRS is offering free tax help to taxpayers this weekend. On Saturday, March 26, 2011, nearly 100 IRS offices will be open to help taxpayers resolve tax issues. The location of participating offices is listed on IRS.gov.

“We are opening our doors this Saturday to help taxpayers who may not have a chance to seek assistance during the work week,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman. ” We are very focused on providing services to taxpayers when they want it, where they want it.”

The IRS Saturday Open House hours are from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time. IRS personnel will be on-site to provide taxpayers one-on-one tax help. More than 35,000 taxpayers attended similar events last year resolving more than 95 percent of their tax issues.

IRS personnel will provide free tax help to taxpayers by helping with tax return preparation, answering tax questions, offering tax tips and assisting in tax issue resolution.

In addition to IRS help, community organizations partner with the IRS. Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs assist people who earned $49,000 or less, and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs assist individuals age 60 and over with their 2010 income tax return preparation and electronic filing. Many of these sites have Saturday hours while others offer assistance at various times during the week. Taxpayers can call 800-906-9887 to locate partner sites in their area.

The IRS Saturday Open House is a great opportunity to get IRS tax help, tax tips and answers to your tax questions – for free.

Make note, the IRS expects to open on two additional Saturdays later this year.

source: irs.gov

Many taxpayers aren’t aware that the Internal Revenue Service provides free income preparation for elderly and low-to-moderate income taxpayers. This free tax help is available through the IRS Volunteer Tax Assistance program (VTA).

The Volunteer Tax Assistance program is an IRS sponsored, community-based volunteer program available nationwide. The tax assistance program is an IRS partnership with non-profit and community organizations who provide the free tax help and perform the free tax preparation.

To qualify for the free IRS tax help, taxpayers must specific criteria. Here are the top 10 things the IRS wants you to know about these volunteer programs.

1. The IRS sponsors both the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly programs.
2. The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program offers free tax help to people who earn less than $49,000. Most locations offer free electronic filing.
3. The Tax Counseling for the Elderly Program offers free tax help to taxpayers who are 60 and older.
4. The IRS trains community volunteers so they can help eligible taxpayers with several special credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit and the Credit for the Elderly.
5. Many volunteer sites have language specialists to assist people with limited English skills.
6. More than 12,000 free tax preparation sites are open nationwide this year as the IRS continues to expand its partnerships with nonprofit and community organizations performing these vital tax preparation services.
7. As part of the TCE program, AARP offers the Tax-Aide free tax preparation program at over 6,000 sites nationwide during the filing season. Trained and certified AARP Tax-Aide volunteers provide assistance to taxpayers with low-to-moderate income, with special attention paid to those 60 and older.
8. The military also partners with the IRS to provide free tax assistance to military personnel and their families. The Armed Forces Tax Council consists of the tax program coordinators for the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Volunteers are trained and equipped to address military-specific tax issues, such as combat zone tax benefits.
9. Locations and hours of operation are often available through city information hotlines and local community organizations.
10. Local VITA site information is also available at http://www.irs.gov or by calling the IRS toll-free number 1-800-906-9887. To locate the nearest AARP Tax-Aide site, call 1-888-227-7669 (888-AARPNOW) or visit www aarp.org.

Elderly and low-to-moderate income taxpayers should take advantage of the free tax preparation and tax help available through the IRS Volunteer Tax Assistance Program.

source: irs.gov

Many taxpayers aren’t aware that the Internal Revenue Service offers taxpayers free help on federal tax questions and with filing a return. You can get the free tax help along with tax tips and answers to your tax questions by visiting the IRS website, by telephone and in person.

When seeking tax help online make certain that you go to the authentic IRS website. A great tax tip is to understand that the official IRS site does not end in .com, .net., .org or any other designation. The official site ends in .gov

The IRS website offers free tax help through applications available through its Online Services section. Tax tips and answers to your tax questions can be ascertained through the following:

• Free File a program available exclusively at IRS.gov in English and Spanish, offers brand-name tax software or online fillable forms. Everyone can find an option to prepare and e-file their tax returns for free. Taxpayers who earned $58,000 or less qualify for free software through a private-public partnership with manufacturers. Taxpayers who earned more or who are comfortable preparing their returns can use Free File Fillable Forms, the electronic versions of IRS paper forms.
• Find an Authorized e-file Provider helps individual taxpayers find someone who can electronically file their tax return.
• EITC Assistant, available in English and Spanish, helps taxpayers find out if they are eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit.
• Interactive Tax Assistant guides taxpayers through a series of questions and provides responses on credits, deductions and general filing questions.
• Electronic Federal Tax Payment System enables taxpayers to pay their tax online.
• Online Payment Agreement for taxpayers who cannot pay their tax completely by April 18, 2011.
• IRS Withholding Calculator helps taxpayers make sure the amount of income tax they have withheld from their pay isn’t too high or too low.

The IRS also offers free tax help with free tax preparation available through it’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistant (VITA) program.

Taxpayers can also get resolution to tax questions and issues that cannot be answered online or by phone, and who need face-to-face assistance via the Taxpayer Assistance Center.
Another free tax help offering provided by the IRS include tax forms and publications walk-in service, low income taxpayer clinics, Braille tax material and a taxpayer advocate service. For information on these IRS services, or to get more tax tips, tax facts, or answers to your tax questions visit the IRS website.

source: irs.gov