The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) provides free and secure online tax return preparation and filing services to taxpayers. You can file online with IRS Free File until October 15 at midnight ET.

The Free File Alliance is a nonprofit coalition of companies in the tax software industry that have partnered with the IRS to provide online tax preparation and e-filing at no cost (free). The program is called “IRS Free File” and companies such as H&R Block, TurboTax, TaxAct, FileYourTaxes.com - just to name a few - participate in the alliance.

Each of the companies in the alliance have eligibility requirements to receive a free federal return. Some participating companies offer free filing of a state return too. All of the companies require your Adjusted Gross Income to be under a specific amount. For example, here are the eligibility requirements for the IRS Free File program delivered by TurboTax:

• Your Adjusted Gross Income is $36,000 or less, AND any age, OR

• You are eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit, OR

• Free for Active Duty Military for Adjusted Gross Income of $69,000 or less

• Same criteria apply when filing with a foreign address

• Free state return if you qualify for the federal return

If your income is above $69,000, the IRS offers free fillable forms through their website. Here’s the caveat: You must know how to do your taxes yourself.

Take Action:

• Use the Free File online Lookup Tool to determine which Free File offer(s) is(are) available to you. You are responsible for determining your eligibility for one of the Free File offers. Once you select an offer, you will leave the IRS.gov website bound for the offer you selected. Caution! If you select an offer for which you are ineligible and file your return, the participating company will charge a fee.

• If your income exceeds the threshold or you do not otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for Free File, and you know how to do your taxes, use the Free File Fillable Forms. State tax preparation is not available with this option.

• You can file online with IRS Free File until October 15 at midnight ET. You can print your returns until October 20.

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