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Community Tax Aid does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, and reprisal for previous civil rights activities. CTA will make every effort to provide reasonable accommodations to persons with physical disabilities, sensory loss, or limited English proficiency. These accommodations will be provided at no cost to the taxpayer.

Tax preparation assistance. (updated 12/9/2022)

Community Tax Aid is closed for the year and will begin providing services again in early February.

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Overview
Free tax preparation assistance by Community Tax Aid is generally available from February through the April tax filing deadline.

CTA also offers with limited assistance available between June and September 15th.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, some in-persons tax sites may not be able to open, or may only be open with limited capacity.

A special message to members of the military
Although, our volunteers are not trained to serve members of the military, the volunteers with the Military Tax Resource Center have you covered: https://www.militaryonesource.mil/financial-legal/tax-resource-center/

Before continuing,
please check out information on tax situations that our volunteers are not trained to prepare.

Tax Preparation Assistance Options

Prepare and File your federal and state tax return on-line on your own

Option available late January until October 15th.

*Note 1: The Free File software is only for 2022 returns and is only available until November 15th.
*Note 2: These software programs generally are not free if you have self-employment income or income paid to you as a contractor including cash payments and payments made on forms 1099-NEC or 1099-K.
*Note 3: most Free File software does not support Forms 1040NR or 1040NREZ.  See https://ctadc.org/nr/ for more information.

Virtual Option

Option available February 5 to April 1 and July 1 to September 15.  With the virtual option, you will use the weblink we provide to answer questions and upload documents into a secure environment. After you upload your documents, a volunteer will connect with you via telephone to review your tax situation and make sure everything is ready for preparation. Depending on your preferences, a volunteer preparer will contact you via text, email or phone if they need additional information to complete your tax return. After review of the tax return you will be contacted by phone to sort out any other details and to review your return. You will receive the completed return electronically sign the return. This process takes one to four weeks depending on the complexity of your tax return and the availabiltiy of volunteers.

Please note:

      • You need an email address to use the virtual option
      • This service is limited to families whose income is less than $58,000
      • We are only trained to prepare state returns for DC, MD and VA
      • To guard against identity theft, the IRS requires that we see a valid government photo ID
      • To guard against identity theft, the IRS requires that we see a copy of your social security card OR your social security statement OR your ITIN letter (unless you have never been issued a social security number or ITIN).
        Lost your social security card? see: https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/replacement-card.html
        Don’t have these identity documents? You do not need these documents to prepare your own tax return using free software. See www.ctadc.org for more information.

    • Link for virtual assistance closed for 2022. Check back February 2023.

      Limited Contact Drop-Off/Pick Up Services

      February – April 2022.  With this service, you will receive an appointment to come in for your intake interview and to bring your documents to be copied or scanned. The tax return will be prepared and reviewed at a later time by volunteers working remotely. The volunteers will contact you if they need additional information to complete your tax return. When the return is completed, you will be contacted by phone to review your completed return.  You will come back for a second appointment to pick up your completed tax return, usually 1 week later.

      Please note:

                  • This service is limited to families whose income is less than $57,000
                  • We are only trained to prepare state returns for DC, MD and VA
                  • To guard against identity theft, the IRS requires that we see a valid government photo ID
                  • To guard against identity theft, the IRS requires that we see a copy of your social security card OR your social security statement OR your ITIN letter (unless you have never been issued a social security number or ITIN).
                    Lost your social security card? see: https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/replacement-card.html
                    Don’t have these identity documents? You do not need these documents to prepare your own tax return using free software. See www.ctadc.org for more information.

      Starting  January 18, 2023 you can request an appointment for the 2023 by calling 202-830-1480, or sending an email to appointments@communitytaxaiddc.org.

    • Traditional in-person assistance

      February – April 2022.  With this service, you will receive an appointment to come in with all your documents to have your return prepared.

      Please note:

                  • This service is limited to families whose income is less than $58,000
                  • We are only trained to prepare state returns for DC, MD and VA
                  • To guard against identity theft, the IRS requires that we see a valid government photo ID
                  • To guard against identity theft, the IRS requires that we see a copy of your social security card OR your social security statement OR your ITIN letter (unless you have never been issued a social security number or ITIN).
                    Lost your social security card? see: https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/replacement-card.html
                    Don’t have these identity documents? You do not need these documents to prepare your own tax return using free software. See www.ctadc.org for more information.

      Starting  January 18, 2023 you can request an appointment for the 2023 by calling 202-830-1480, or sending an email to appointments@communitytaxaiddc.org.