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Hi, my name is Wendi and I work for the Internal Revenue Service. No, this is not a scam! I work in a division called SPEC (Stakeholder Partnerships, Communication and Education). Our mission is to assist taxpayers in satisfying their tax responsibilities by building and maintaining partnerships with key stakeholders. Wow, that is a mouth full!

I’m e-mailing Montana employers to promote free income tax assistance for your employees. My goal is to assist you in helping your employees save some time and money.

There are three different options available for individuals/families to file their own income taxes:
1. IRS Free File – is a site where you can prepare and file your federal individual income tax return for free using brand name tax preparation and filing software. There are eligibility limits so please reference the site for additional details. Some venders also provide free state income tax preparation.
2. Fillable Forms – is a site for individuals with higher income, who know how to do taxes on their own. The program does the math and provides only basic guidance. You must have your prior year return and state income tax preparation is not available. Before starting, please visit the Fillable Forms User's Guide & Help page.
3. MyFreeTaxes – (MFT) is the only free, national, online tax filing product offered by a nonprofit, United Way. MFT is mobile so anyone can access it from their computer, tablet or smart phone. The program is free for households who earned less than $66,000 in 2017. You can file your federal and multiple state income tax returns free of charge if you meet the income requirements (these usually change from year to year.) If you have questions, IRS tax-law certified specialists are ready to answer questions in real time.

Not everyone is comfortable preparing their own income taxes. However, sometimes finding the funds to pay for this assistance can be difficult. SPEC manages two programs helping individuals/families get their taxes prepared for free:
1. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax help to people who make $54,000 or less, (this amount generally changes from year to year). IRS tax-law certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals who need assistance in preparing their tax returns (federal and state.)
2. The Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program offers free tax help for all taxpayers, particularly those who are 60 years of age and older, specializing in questions about pensions and retirement-related issues unique to seniors.

The Free Tax Return Preparation for Qualifying Taxpayers site on IRS.gov has additional information on services provided at the VITA/TCE sites, what to bring and how to find a location near you.

In Montana, there is also an excellent website called Montana Free File. MontanaFreeFile.org is dedicated to helping Montana taxpayers learn where to receive free tax assistance and how to get refunds faster by filing online. This site provides links/information on:
 Free internet locations
 IRS Free File
 Montana Department of Revenue
 MyFreeTaxes
 What to bring to your appointment
 Volunteer information, and
 Tax training options

Last, but not least, if your organization would be interested in hosting a free tax site, as a clinic or on a regular basis, I would appreciate hearing from you. Also, if your employees would be interested in volunteering for one of these fantastic programs, I would welcome the contact. Our local communities can always use more sites and volunteers. Any assistance you could provide would be greatly appreciated. I have a spreadsheet providing data by county for tax returns filed in 2016 which I can provide upon request. This document shows the number of low-to-moderate income taxpayers in your community who could benefit by these services.

If you have questions or comments regarding any of the information I have provided, please feel free to contact me. I look forward to hearing from you!

Thank you,
Wendi