St James AME Church, Elgin, Illinois

Dear Neighbors,

With tax filing deadline day coming up on April 18^th, you deserve every penny you may be owed by the IRS and there are several services--often at no cost--that can help you take advantage of tax credits and deductions that you might otherwise miss out on. 

As you begin preparing your tax returns, I encourage you to look into the free tax preparation and filing services that are available to many low-income and middle-class families and individuals. These free preparation and filing services, which can be found at irs.gov/freefile, can often help taxpayers take advantage of tax credits and other benefits they may not be aware of and also ensure users receive the largest tax refund for which they are eligible.

In addition to FreeFile services, eligible Eighth District taxpayers can also take advantage of in-person, local and free tax preparation services offered through the IRS’ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs. The VITA program utilizes IRS-certified volunteers to provide free tax help to individuals making $54,000 or less, persons with disabilities and limited English speaking taxpayers. The TCE program is another IRS-certified volunteer program to provide tax preparation services, with a focus on retirement-related issues, to seniors. 

My office will participate in a local free tax preparation event in the coming weeks, which I will announce on my Twitter and Facebook pages, but you can also find nearby VITA and TCE dates and locations here. I look forward to continuing my work in Congress on behalf of everyday families and help return owed and unused federal funds back to my constituents and taxpayers.

In February alone, my office helped recover approximately $40,000 of federal funds owed to Eighth District residents and, in March, I returned $200,000 of my office budget to the U.S. Treasury. As always, don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions or concerns with federal agencies or benefits.

Sincerely,
 
Tammy Duckworth
Member of Congress