Affordable ways to file your taxes and save your refund
See if you qualify for free tax filing. There are several options available:
1. You can receive free tax preparation assistance at a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) location VITA sites are available for free to qualifying individuals, including those who make $60,000 or less annually, limited English-speaking tax payers, and people with disabilities.
When visiting a VITA site, preparation is key! The IRS offers a helpful What to Bring resource that highlights the necessary documents to help prepare taxpayers for their visit.
VITA sites offer can vary in the services they offer from community to community, so it’s important to ensure that the site chosen by a taxpayer is an appropriate fit for their needs.
To learn more about VITA and to locate a site in your area, visit the IRS website or see below for sites in Boulder and Broomfield counties:
FREE Tax Sites:
AARP – Lafayette Library, 775 Baseline Road, Lafayette, CO 80026. Open 2/1 through 4/12/23.
Wednesdays and Saturdays – 10:30am to 3:00pm. By appointment only. Call 303-665-5200 or online -At https://cotaxaide.org/appt/
AARP – Louisville Recreation Center – 900 Via Appia Way, Louisville, CO 80027. English & Spanish / Open 2/6 through 4/10. Mondays – 9:00a to 1:00pm. By appointment only. Call 303-335-4919 or online at https://cotaxaide.org/appt/
AARP - Boulder Senior Services, 5660 Sioux Drive, Boulder, CO 80303. Open 2/3 through 4/7.
Fridays – 9:00am to 1:00pm - Call 720-327-3363 or online at https://cotaxaide.org/appt/
AARP – Broomfield Senior Center, 280 Lamar Street, Broomfield, CO 80020. Open 2/3 through 4/14. Fridays – 9:00a to 2:30pm/ Call 303-464-5526 or online at https://cotaxaide.org/appt/
AARP – Longmont Senior Center, 910 Longs Peak Avenue, Longmont, CO 80501. Open 2/2/23 through 4/13/23/ Tuesdays and Thursdays – 9:00am to 1:00pm – call 303-774-4429 or online at https://cotaxaide.org/appt/
Tax Help Colorado / VITA/ Boulder Public Library -1001 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, CO 80302 / February 14 through April 4, 2023. Tuesdays- 2:00 to 6:00p and, Saturdays – 10:00am to 3:00pm/ Appointments required. Visit https://taxhelpcolorado.as.me/BPL to make an appointment.
- If you prefer to file your taxes for free online, use My Free Taxes. My Free Taxes is a service of the United Way and is a great option if you want to file your taxes yourself. The online platform will guide you through every step and make sure you get all the cash-back tax credits you are eligible for.
You will need access to a computer and a valid email address to use My Free Taxes. The average tax return usually takes about an hour.
Visit MyFreeTaxes.com to learn more and get started.
- Get Your Refund is a service of Code for America and a coalition of community partners and volunteers. Get Your Refund is free for taxpayers and families who earn less than $66,000 a year.
Get Your Refund is a great option if you do not have easy access to a computer, but do have a smartphone. Taxpayers take a picture of their ID and tax documents and upload the photos to a private and secure site. Then, taxpayers complete a short questionnaire to get matched with a tax professional who will call you and complete your return remotely.
Visit GetYourRefund.org/CO to learn more and get started.
- If your income is $73,000 or less, you can use most major tax preparation software to file your taxes for free through the IRS Free File Alliance . However, some Free File Alliance partners do not provide fee state taxes.
- Members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families can use the free online tax prep and e-filing program MilTax .
In addition to filing for free, make sure that you receive the following credits if you are eligible.
Other tax time resources:
- Helpful VITA documents:
- Visit https://www.getaheadcolorado.org/ to learn about tax credits that may provide you with a greater refund.
- CFPB Tips for Filing Your Tax Refund
For tax year 2022 some tax credits that were expanded in 2021 will return to 2019 levels. This means that affected taxpayers will likely receive a smaller refund compared with the previous tax year. Changes include amounts for the Child Tax Credit (CTC), Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child and Dependent Care Credit.
Those who got $3,600 per dependent in 2021 for the CTC will, if eligible, get $2,000 for the 2022 tax year.
For the EITC, eligible taxpayers with no children who received roughly $1,500 in 2021 will now get a maximum of $530 in 2022.
The Child and Dependent Care Credit returns to a maximum of $2,100 in 2022 instead of $8,000 in 2021.
- Tax Time Guidance for Gig WorkersYou must file a tax return if you have net earnings from self-employment of $400 or more from gig work, even if it's a side job, part-time or temporary.
You must pay tax on income you earn from gig work. If you do gig work as an employee, your employer should withhold tax from your paycheck. If you do gig work as an independent contractor, you may have to pay estimated taxes. Unsure if you are an employee or independent contractor? Ask your employer or check your worker status.
ABOUT THE PERSONAL INVESTMENT ENTERPRISE (PIE) PROGRAM
The Personal Investment Enterprise (PIE) program is a local savings program provided through Community Action Programs of Boulder County and Foothills United Way. The program is designed for low-income families to enroll in financial literacy classes and save through a matched saving account at a rate of 4 to 1. The first step in applying to the program is to attend an orientation meeting with Community Action Programs at Boulder County. For more information on the PIE program visit https://bouldercounty.gov/families/community-action-programs/personal-investment-enterprise/ or https://unitedwaydenver.org/personal-investment-enterprise-pie-program/. To see if you qualify, take this survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PrelimPIE.
