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6 February 2023
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) – Most Americans are leaving money on the table when it comes to filing their taxes.
According to the National Taxpayer Advocate’s most recent report to Congress, roughly 70% of Americans qualify to file their taxes for free, but only about 2% take advantage of the opportunity.
To help you prepare for the upcoming tax season, here are a list of places to file your taxes for free.
Federal taxes
The filing deadline to submit your 2022 federal tax returns is Tuesday, April 18.
Taxpayers who made less than $73,000 in 2022 qualify for a free federal tax return through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Free File Program. The IRS partners with major tax software companies to offer guided tax preparation and filing for free.
Eligible taxpayers can use the guided tax preparation portal to prepare and file federal income tax online.
Some IRS Free File Program partner companies offer free state tax preparation while others charge a fee. All IRS partners will list if they charge for that service on the provider’s IRS Free File landing page.
People who earned more than $73,000 in 2022 can use the IRS Free File Fillable Forms. The fillable forms are considered more of a do-it-yourself tax option and are only recommended for people comfortable preparing their own tax return without additional guidance.
The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs also offer free, in-person tax help for those who qualify. These services are typically available for people earning less than $60,000 annually, people with disabilities or those who speak limited English.
VITA and TCE sites are located in public spaces like libraries, schools and community centers. You can use the VITA locator tool on the IRS website to find the tax help site closest to you.
Missouri taxes
The last day to file 2022 Individual Income Tax Return in Missouri is Tuesday, April 18.
The Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR) has partnered with various private tax software companies to offer free, online filing services for taxpayers who qualify.
Missouri taxpayers who earned $32,000 or less in 2022 can receive free federal and state tax preparation and e-filing through 1040Now. This service offers up to three free tax return filings per computer.
Both Online Taxes Inc. and FreeTaxUSA let qualified taxpayers file federal and state taxes online for free. These services are available for Missourians who earned less than $41,000 in 2022 and for active duty military members who earned less than $73,000 last year.
Missourians 57-years-old or younger can use TaxSlayer to prepare and file their taxes online for free if they earned less than $60,000 in 2022; qualified for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC); or were an active duty military member earning less than $73,000 in 2022.
Kansas taxes
In Kansas the tax filing and tax payment deadline is Tuesday, April 18.
The Kansas Department of Revenue offers a free state tax return service through the Kansas WebFile portal.
Taxpayers must have filed a Kansas tax return within the last three years to be eligible to file online.