Tax season is in full swing, and for Texans, the burden maybe just a bit lighter this year. Under a new IRS pilot program called Direct File, approximately 3.8 million residents could skip out the fees typically associated with tax filing. This program is designed for those with simpler tax situations—think standard deductions, W-2, or 1099 forms—and is completely free of charge, as reported by Community Impact.
The average American is used to spending around 13 hours and $270 to get their taxes done, a time-consuming and costly tradition that Deputy U.S. Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said no one particularly looks forward to. U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, acknowledged the hassle in a statement obtained by Community Impact, "But this year, they can experience it with a great deal less difficulty, less time, less cost—and for those who are eligible, quicker refunds."
But the Direct File isn't the only show in town offering free tax help. AARP Foundation has also thrown its hat in the ring with the Tax-Aide program. According to KVUE, Tax-Aide is ready to assist people of all ages, and you don't need to be a retiree to tap into this resource. Austinites can find IRS-certified volunteers at several locations, like Ruiz Library, Rosewood-Zaragosa Neighborhood Center, and the South Austin Senior Activity Center, to name a few. This service even extends to document scanning and e-filing, and the only price of admission is bringing the necessary documents, including the W-2 and 1099 forms.
"It costs a lot to have your return done by someone else," Susan Smaus, AARP Foundation tax aide, explained in a KVUE interview. "And people are on a tight budget, so we wanna come in and feel confident that they had the return done correctly, they got all the deductions and credits they were entitled to and it was e-filed for free." Whether walk-ins or appointments, AARP's Tax-Aide aims to quickly get your taxes squared away without the usual hit to your wallet.
