Filing Your Taxes

“Taxes, after all, are dues that we pay for the privileges of membership in an organized society” - Franklin D. Roosevelt

Every year between January and April, many of us will file our federal and state taxes. For some of us this may be our first time ever filing our taxes. Filing taxes can be a scary thing, but taxes pay for things we use like roads, schools, libraries, police and fire protection.

It’s no understatement that filing taxes is complicated, but there are free services to help you.

Getting Help with VITA and the Benefit Bank
Thankfully, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has a program called Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) that offers free tax help for taxpayers who make less than $54,000 a year. VITA will even help you set up an electronic deposit into your bank account. Use this useful VITA search engine to find a helpful VITA professional in your area.

Another valuable resource for help filing your taxes is SC Thrive. SC Thrive can provide assistance and guidance in other areas as well, including signing up for Medicaid, voter registration, SNAP, and military and veteran benefits.

Be Prepared
Just so you’ll be ahead of the game when contacting VITA or The Benefit Bank, here’s a list of the seven items you’ll need to file your taxes.

• Social Security or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) for each family member and working adult
• W-2s, 1099s, 1098s, and other forms
• 1095-A if you received a tax credit from healthcare.gov marketplace
• Childcare provider name, address and tax ID, if applicable
• Bank routing and account numbers for checking or savings account (if you qualify for refund via secure direct deposit)
• Last year’s tax return, if you have it
• A valid email address

Lastly, the IRS has a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week toll-free number to help answer questions during tax season. The number is 1-800-829-1040. And, as always, there’s information available on the IRS website.

Make sure you meet the deadline to file which in most years is April 15th.

 

Updated 08/19/2021