27 February 2024

IRS Gives You Free Tax Software If You Made Less Than $60K

By Ronald Smith

I have some great news for you if you’re someone who earned less than $60,000. The IRS has just announced that they’re offering free tax software. How cool is that?

Now, you might be wondering what this free tax software is all about. Well, it’s a program that you can use to file your taxes without spending a single dime. It’s like having your own personal tax assistant, but without having to pay for it!

I know taxes can be a bit confusing and overwhelming sometimes. Trust me, I’ve been there too. But with this free software, things become a whole lot easier. It’s designed to guide you through the process step by step, so you don’t have to worry about missing anything important.

Just think about it – no more struggling with complicated forms or trying to figure out complicated calculations. This software takes care of all that for you. All you have to do is follow along and enter your information when prompted. It’s as simple as that!

Now, you might be thinking, How do I get my hands on this amazing software? Well, it’s actually quite simple. You can either download it directly from the IRS website or find a company that partners with the IRS to offer the software. Either way, it’s completely free, so you can start filing your taxes without any extra costs.

But wait, there’s more! Not only will this software help you with your federal taxes, but it can also assist with your state taxes as well. That means you can have all your tax needs taken care of in one convenient place. Talk about a time-saver!

I know tax season can be a stressful time for many people, but this free tax software is here to make things a little bit easier. So why not give it a try? You have nothing to lose, and you might just find yourself wondering how you ever filed your taxes without it.

Remember, if you made less than $60,000, the IRS has got your back with this awesome free tax software. So, go ahead and take advantage of this opportunity. Start filing your taxes with ease and confidence today. You’ve got this!

IRS Gives You Free Tax Software If You Made Less Than $60K

If you earned $60,000 or less last year, there’s some good news for you! You might be eligible for special free tax software from well-known brands. And even if you made more than $60,000, don’t worry, you can still access free fill-in-the-blank forms online.

The IRS and the Free File Alliance have joined forces to create Free File. It’s a fantastic opportunity for individuals like you to file your taxes without any cost. And here are some of the top-notch software options you can choose from:

– 1040.com Free File Edition

– 1040NOW.NET

– eSmartTax By Liberty Tax Service

– ezTaxReturn.com

– FileYourTaxes.com

– Free1040TaxReturn.com

– FreeTaxUSA IRS Free File Edition

– HR Block’s Free File

– Jackson Hewitt Tax Service

– Online Taxes at OLT.com

– TaxACT Free File Edition

– Tax Simple

– TaxSlayer

– TurboTax All Free

Now, let’s talk a bit about who is eligible to benefit from this amazing offer. If you made $60,000 or less last year, you’re in luck! You can take advantage of the free tax software options mentioned above. It’s a fantastic opportunity to save some money and make the tax-filing process a breeze. Don’t miss out on this chance to simplify your taxes!

The IRS says that 100 million (70 percent) of taxpayers can use the Free File software.

According to Tim Hugo, the executive director of the Free File Alliance, tax time can be stressful, but Free File is here to help. If you make $60,000 or less, you can get step-by-step assistance.

But it’s not as simple as it seems.

There are four things that determine who can use the software.

(1) You have to consider income restrictions.

First, let’s look at your income in 2014.

If you made $60,000 or less in 2014, you could be eligible to choose from 14 different free tax software options.

But with some software providers, your income needs to be even lower than $60,000 to qualify. For example, you need to make less than $52,000 to use TaxACT for free. And if you want to qualify for 1040.com’s free version, your income must be less than $33,000.

Let’s talk about income levels. When we talk about income, we’re referring to something called adjusted gross income or AGI. It’s a fancy way of saying how much money you made after taking out certain deductions. AGI is important because it determines if you qualify for certain benefits or programs.

For most people, your AGI will be the same as your total income from your W-2 form. But for some people, your AGI might be lower than your total income. It’s a bit confusing, but don’t worry, I’ll explain.

The IRS, which is the official tax organization, says you can find your AGI on your 2013 tax return. If your income didn’t change much from 2013 to 2014, looking at your AGI from 2013 can give you a rough idea of what your AGI might be for 2014. It’s like using your past to help you make an educated guess about the present.

(2) Providers may impose additional conditions.

Now, let’s talk about tax software. Tax software is a special computer program that helps you file your taxes. There are different companies that make tax software, and each company has its own rules about who can use their free version called Free File.

Some tax software companies might have extra conditions or requirements that you need to meet before you can use their free software. These conditions could be things like where you live, like being in a certain state. Or they might require you to be a certain age. It’s kind of like having to follow certain rules to get something for free.

Some situations may require you to meet certain criteria in order to use the free software. The Earned Income Credit (EIC) has specific income restrictions, but many taxpayers, including small business owners and the self-employed, qualify for it. You can visit the IRS website to find out the income levels for the Earned Income Credit.

(3) If you have a business, there may be an additional cost.

The free tax software offered through this program is primarily designed for individuals who earn wages.

However, things get a bit more complex for those of us who file a business return, like a Schedule C. If you’re self-employed or own a small business, whether it’s incorporated or not, you will most likely need to pay a fee.

Let me give you an example. The Jackson Hewitt offer is absolutely free if your consumer returns qualify. But if you have a self-employed business or an unincorporated small business return, Jackson Hewitt will charge you $49.95.

(4) Sometimes, you might have to pay extra for state returns.

Now let’s talk about state tax returns. Some providers may ask you for an extra fee to file your state tax returns. So, even though the federal return is free, you might have to spend a little bit of money, usually less than $20, for a state return.

But here’s the good news – with certain providers, you might be able to get the state return for free as well.

Let’s talk about TaxSlayer (how cool is that name!). TaxSlayer has a great offer for people like me and you – a free state return if we live in any of these states: Arkansas, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia, Vermont, West Virginia, or DC. But if we live in a different state that has income tax, we’ll have to pay $12.95 for a state return through TaxSlayer.

Oh, and guess what? I discovered that there are seven states that don’t have any state income tax at all – Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming, and Washington. So if we live in one of those states, we don’t have to bother with filing a state return at all!

If You Made Over $60,000: Fillable IRS Forms are For You

Now, what if we made more than $60,000 in 2014? Well, don’t worry – there’s a different program just for us.

If you made more than $60,000, you qualify for something called Free File Fillable Forms. The IRS says this is a good option for people who feel comfortable preparing their own tax return.

Basically, you’ll be completing your own tax return, but online using fill-in-the-blank forms instead of pen and paper.

These fillable forms are just like the paper forms the IRS uses. You’ll fill in the blanks online and then submit your return electronically through the IRS’s e-file program (there’s a button you click at the end to file).

This option doesn’t offer as much assistance as tax software. It can help with some calculations, but not all of them. You’ll have to do some calculations on your own.

You’ll also need to read and understand the IRS instructions, which can be a bit challenging.

So, What’s the Verdict?

Even with all the rules and restrictions, the Free File software option is a great deal for people who (a) like using software for their tax returns or (b) can’t afford to hire a tax preparer.

And if you don’t want to deal with the confusion of deciding which option is best for you, the IRS.gov/FreeFile website has a cool tool that can help. It will guide you in figuring out which software you’re eligible for and then send you to the software providers’ websites where you can get the free version.

IRS Commissioner John A. Koskinen adds, Don’t worry if you’re not a tax expert or up to date on all the new health care rules. Free File software can guide you through the process and make sure you have it all right.