Tax time and benefits: United States.

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Tax time and benefits: United States

Handout · moraph.org/commons/sessions/fluent/tax-time-and-benefits

Filing a return can be how refunds, credits and some benefits reach you. This sheet has what to keep, how to spot a scam, and the free official help where you live.

Why file

Tax taken from your pay may come back
Some credits are only paid if you file
Some benefits use your tax information

Free help first

Look for free official help before paying
Ask a paid preparer the full price first
A refund loan is a loan: ask what it costs

Keep these

Copies of every return you file
Income statements and receipts for claims
Every letter from the tax or benefit office

Scam signs

Threats of arrest over tax
Payment by gift card, crypto or payment app
A refund link sent by text or email
Go to the official site yourself to check

In the United States

Free help from volunteers. The IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs offer free basic tax return preparation by IRS-certified volunteers, at places such as community centers and libraries. VITA generally focuses on people who meet the Earned Income Tax Credit income guidelines, and TCE especially helps people aged 60 and older.
IRS Free File. Go through IRS.gov to use IRS Free File; you won’t get it by going straight to a partner’s commercial website. Guided software has an income limit and partners set their own eligibility, while Free File Fillable Forms are available at no cost at any income level.
Earned Income Tax Credit. The EITC helps low- to moderate-income workers and families reduce the tax they owe and may increase their refund. By law, the IRS must wait until mid-February to issue refunds to people who claim it.
Paid preparers. Anyone with an IRS Preparer Tax Identification Number can be a paid preparer, and the IRS keeps a directory of preparers with recognized credentials. The IRS warns about preparers who charge fees based on the size of your refund.
Keep your records. Generally keep records that support your income, deductions and credits until the period of limitations for that return runs out, which is three years in many cases, and keep copies of every return you file.
Benefits. USAGov, the official guide to government services, lists federal benefit programs and how to apply, and points to your state social service agency for state programs.

Official places to check:

Internal Revenue Service: www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for-qualifying-taxpayers
Internal Revenue Service: www.irs.gov/e-file-do-your-taxes-for-free
Internal Revenue Service: www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/earned-income-tax-credit-eitc
Internal Revenue Service: www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/choosing-a-tax-professional
Internal Revenue Service: www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/how-long-should-i-keep-records
USAGov: www.usa.gov/benefits

General information, not advice about your own situation. Checked 19 October 2026. If an official source says something different, it is right. Free to copy and adapt. moraph.org/commons/sessions/fluent/tax-time-and-benefits