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IR-2011-5, Jan. 14, 2011
WASHINGTON — IRS Free ob体育 opens today, Jan. 14, to start its ninth year of helping make taxes a little less taxing.
Everyone can use Free ob体育, the free way to prepare and e-file federal taxes either through brand-name software or online fillable forms. Individuals or families with 2010 adjusted gross incomes of $58,000 or less can use Free ob体育 software. Free ob体育 Fillable Forms, the electronic version of IRS paper forms, has no income restrictions.
“Free ob体育 saves you money and time preparing and e-filing your federal tax returns,” said Cecille M. Jones, acting director, Electronic Tax Administration and Refundable Credits. “Free ob体育 really does make taxes less taxing.”
Free ob体育 software is a product of a public-private partnership between the IRS and the Free ob体育 Alliance, LLC. The Alliance is a consortium of approximately 20 tax software providers who make versions of their products available exclusive at /freefile. All Free ob体育 members must meet certain security requirements and use the latest in encryption technology to protect taxpayers’ information.
Seventy percent of taxpayers are eligible for Free ob体育 software. It’s perfect for first-time filers, families looking to save money or older Americans adept at using the Internet.
People with an adjusted gross income of $58,000 or less are eligible for at least one software product if not more. Each of the Free ob体育 software providers sets their own eligibility requirements, usually based on qualifiers such as income, state residency, age or military status.
The easiest way to locate a software provider is to use the online tool that, with a little of a taxpayer’s personal information, can identify matching products. Or, taxpayers can review all providers and their offers. Some software providers also offer state income tax preparation for free or for a fee.
For taxpayers whose incomes are more than $58,000, there’s Free ob体育 Fillable Forms. This program is best for taxpayers experienced in preparing their own federal tax returns. For people who prefer doing their taxes the old fashioned way – by paper – this is an electronic alternative.
Free ob体育 Fillable Forms performs some math calculations and provides links to some IRS publications. It does not use the familiar question-and-answer format used by software. Taxpayers can e-file the forms for free. It also does not support state income tax returns.
Taxpayers must access the tax products through IRS.gov to avoid any charges for preparing or e-file a federal tax return. Free ob体育 partners also are prohibited from repeatedly trying to sell taxpayers other products.
Once taxpayers have selected a Free ob体育 software product, they will be directed away from IRS.gov to the partner’s site to prepare and e-file their returns. The IRS does not retain any personal information from the taxpayers.
This year, taxpayers also will see a redesigned Free ob体育 page to make it easier for them to navigate the Free ob体育 steps.
A microsite with additional Free ob体育 information and video also has been updated. The microsite, www.freefile.irs.gov also includes a ‘spread the word” page that encourages other organizations or businesses to help spread the word about Free ob体育.
For example, other organizations or businesses can upload a tax-day countdown widget to their Web sites or make social media postings to help inform their employees, clients or customers about Free ob体育’s availability.