How to Get Local Free Help With Your 2020 Tax Returns

At one point or another we hear the word taxes and we have a little internal freak out, right? Maybe you think (or know) you are going to have to pay, or maybe you are just not a person who is comfortable filling out forms that ask questions that make it hard for your brain to process. Then, when you think you have answered the question on the left, they make you put numbers on the right and then add them all up. I personally am starting to get a tad bit panic-ey as I write this.

Say you need help, but don't make enough to go see a tax professional and pay them? The students at the SUNY (State University of New York) Business School at New Paltz are wanting to help and give back.

They will help you prepare your returns and even better, they will e-file them, for free. Yes, they are getting college credit for helping you.

They do have a few restrictions, like they are not open a ton of hours, you need to have made less than $66,000 in 2020, and you do need to have internet/online access.

The students, who are certified in tax preparation, will help you as a part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program.

The hours that the students are available are:

• Mondays: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
• Tuesdays: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• Wednesdays: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Thursdays: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• Fridays: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

How do you start? Gather your documents, your 1099-INT's, your w-2's, last years tax return (2019) and then your bank details for direct deposit. Ready? Here is a link to their program site and for more information, click here.