Hello, from your friendly neighborhood tax preparer! This is your reminder that there are 39 days until federal tax returns are due to the USA IRS on April 15, 2026.
It hurts to know how much folks pay to have their taxes done, because it's a confusing and difficult process to do on your own. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program offers free tax filing for most individuals. This is a safe, acredited federal program. Ask your local library for more info!
for clarification - do the volunteers physically enter the data into the IRS website for filing or is this just tax prep? I have dyslexia with numbers and just paid HR block so another human, that doesn't have this problem, correctly enters the information.
@coolcalmcollected
Volunteers use an app called Taxwise to enter the client’s data to a database (not the IRS, but vetted by them) print out the return for the client’s records, and then e-file the federal and any required state returns. A problem this year for some clients is that Trump ordered that no paper checks be mailed for refunds. He’s backed off on that. Too many complaints from folks with no bank acct.
@coolcalmcollected
Some folks show up who haven’t filed a return for 2 or more years. Depending on how busy we are we can usually do one extra year, or we may tell them to check in with us after tax season is done and then we can do them. We recommend filing every year even with little or no income and no expected refund or tax due, to help prevent id theft.
@coolcalmcollected
Step 1: Intake interview to check that the client’s brought everything needed;
Step 2: preparer enters data with client present;
Step 3: a different preparer reviews everything done by the first one, again with client;
Step 4: return is printed:
Step 5: outtake interview to explain the return(s) to client, get client sign-off, give them printed return(s) for their records;
Step 6: e-file return(s).
thank you so much for the step by step. I'll remember this for next year. ya'll are the real MVP's
@coolcalmcollected
You’re welcome. There is an income limit for clients under 65 years old, which I believe is $60K for an individual, don’t recall if married filing jointly has a higher limit. Also some income sources are out-of-scope, like oil & gas royalties.
Also, I lied. Taxwise was last year’s software. This year it’s something called TaxSlayer Pro.
Ash O'Kesta
qurlyjoe
🏴🏳⚧🏴☠