COLUMBUS, Ohio — Tax season is underway and there are free programs available to not only help you file your taxes, but also to claim your stimulus money.
United Way of Central Ohio’s Tax Time Program is free for people or families making $57,000 a year or less in 2020.
Its services are different this year because of the pandemic. What used to be in-person is mostly done online.
“I really encourage folks trust this service, it’s gone through IRS approval we are funded by the IRS so we are under strict regulations through them, “said Rachel Skwerer, the Tax Time program manager at United Way of Central Ohio. “We’ve had to have our online tool which is encrypted evaluated by their national team.”
If you have limited or no internet access you can call 211 to schedule a drop-off appointment.
Skwerer says both ways will be handled by trained IRS tax preparers. Even if you aren’t required to file a tax return, she says this is a good option to register with the IRS to receive stimulus checks.
“You definitely won’t get them unless you filed a return,” said Skwerer. “Even if you haven’t earned any money you can still file a return just to get your direct deposit information to the IRS.”
Many people are also eligible for tax credits that they might not know about, according to Skwerer.