Does the library offer free tax preparation?
Answer
Hello,
The Carlsbad City Library will not be hosting free tax preparation for the 2022 tax filing year.
AARP and the Carlsbad Senior Center plan to provide Tax-Aide Assistance via appointment only, starting in February. You can make an appointment at www.carlsbadconnect.org or call the Senior Center to make an appointment at 442-339-2650.
- AARP Tax-Aide has a special focus on taxpayers who are over 50 or have low-to-moderate income.
- Patrons who sign up for an appointment online can download all the documents necessary to complete before their Intake appointment.
- All documents must be completed before the 15-minute Intake appointment
- The tax preparer will call the patron once the returns are finished.
- There will not be any in-person preparation.
- Precise schedule has not yet been determined, but is expected to start in early February, 8:15 - 10:45 a.m., Tuesday & Thursday.
- Tax-Aide volunteers provide taxpayers in communities nationwide with free tax preparation and filing services. Volunteers are trained and IRS-certified every year to ensure they understand the latest changes to the U.S. Tax Code.
Other resources:
The Internal Revenue Service coordinates a program called Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), which offers free income tax preparation assistance to qualifying individuals. You can call 211 to see if you qualify for VITA and to make an appointment.
You can find more information on VITA, along with a search tool for nearby locations, at the IRS website: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for-qualifying-taxpayers
AARP provides a directory of affiliated tax assistance locations at https://www.aarp.org/money/taxes/aarp_taxaide/locations/
Both IRS and the California Franchise Tax Board offer free online tax preparation and filing to qualified taxpayers, some through partnerships with leading online tax preparation companies. For more information, please explore:
- Federal: https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free
- California State: https://www.ftb.ca.gov/file/ways-to-file/online/index.html
Thank you,
Reference Librarian