Hello everyone! This is a bit of an unconventional post to put here, but ’tis the season to do taxes, and I figured this resource could be of some use to those of you that, like me, have really busy schedules and can’t handle the headache that comes with figuring out tax forms alone.
I just found this out this year, but it turns out that if you make less than $69,000 per year, you can access software like TurboTax, H&R Block, etc, that guides you through filling out your taxes online, for free. This service is offered through the IRS Free File program…and tax companies like those mentioned above have tried really hard to keep people from finding out about it! Last year, TurboTax caused a bit of a scandal when it tried to hide its Free File page from search engines (in an attempt to mislead people eligible for free filing into paying money for the exact same service).
I’ve actually used Free File to file my own taxes this year, and it was really helpful. Just make sure if you use it you have digital copies of the needed forms; I know some workplaces send them out, some don’t. If you don’t have digital copies, some of the tax software Free File offers allows you to take a photograph of a paper copy and then fill in the information digitally. If it sounds like it’ll make filing into even more of a headache, don’t worry about it! For me, using technology makes taxes easier. For others, it may be the opposite.
Again, a bit of an unconventional post here, but part of the beauty of humanities is learning to snoop around in all areas of life and see what’s available to help us! Plus, the MISC category exists on this website for a reason. I hope this resource proves useful to those of you that didn’t know about it already, and next time we’ll be back to your regularly scheduled academic postings.
Access Free File HERE
Odyssey, Extra! 