Statewide Iowa — The Internal Revenue Service now has its free file option open for filing your taxes. IRS spokesman Christopher Miller says filing is especially important for anyone who didn’t get their first or second economic impact payment. He says they will need to file a tax return for 2020.
Miller says if you haven’t gotten the stimulus payments you will get what’s called a recovery rebate credit after filing this year. “So even people who normally don’t file a tax return will need to file this year to get the recovery rebate credit if they didn’t get their economic impact payment, or didn’t get the full amount,” according to Miller. “And for those people, using Free File is a really fast, secure, and simple option.”
Miller says interest in the free filing option has increased in our state. “Last year in Iowa nearly 35,000 people used Free File — which is a 47 percent increase in the year before — if you can believe it. So, clearly people are seeing the benefits of this free option to file their taxes online.”
There are some income limits on the Free File option. According to Miller, “Generally people can use the IRS Free File program if they make $72,000 or less. And we encourage people to go to IRS.gov/freefile. Then you are able to use a little tool which helps you decide which if these nine software programs would be good for you based on your income, your age.”
Miller says those who don’t qualify for the Free File program can still find useful information on the IRS website. He says they also have a program called Fillable Forms, where you can fill out electronic versions of the common tax forms. Miller says you fill in the information and then use them to file your taxes.
The IRS tax filing deadline was moved back last year because of the pandemic — but it is moving back to the normal April 15th deadline this year.
