Northwest Iowa — If you’re employed, you’ve probably already received your W-2 form from your employer for 2021, and it’s time to start thinking about filing your taxes. And there’s good news for many taxpayers this year.
According to the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, beginning this month, almost everyone can file electronically for free on IRS.gov or with the IRS2Go app. They tell us the IRS Free File program, available only through IRS.gov, offers eligible taxpayers brand-name tax preparation software packages to use at no cost. Some of the Free File packages also offer free state tax return preparation. The software does all the work of finding deductions, credits, and exemptions for you.
One thing to note, however, is that a couple of the more popular brands of tax software, both online and offline no longer work with IRS Free File. Also, even for the brands that do work with Free File, you have to start the process at irs.gov, and pick a brand there. You can’t go to the online tax preparer’s website if you want to do Free File.
The IRS says if you’re comfortable preparing your own taxes, you could also use Free File Fillable Forms, regardless of your income, to file your tax returns either by mail or online.
The IRS also says that members of the armed forces and some veterans may take advantage of MilTax. They say the free tax resource is available for the military community, offered through the Department of Defense. There are no income limits. MilTax includes tax preparation and electronic filing software, personalized support from tax consultants, and current information about filing taxes. It’s designed to address the realities of military life – including deployments, combat and training pay, housing and rentals, and multi-state filings. Eligible taxpayers can use MilTax to electronically file a federal tax return and up to three state returns for free.
