Wisconsinites can get free help preparing their tax returns at sites across the state. The tax preparation services are generally available to people whose annual income is $67,000 or less.
There are sites at local schools, libraries and nonprofits, mostly staffed by volunteers. Many offer services in Spanish as well as English.
The sites are part of larger programs sanctioned by the Internal Revenue Service. Volunteers have to take training that meets IRS standards.
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Wisconsinites can find nearby sites by searching their ZIP code here. Some sites require an appointment. Many operate through April 15.
To get tax prep help, people must bring documents like their social security card, photo identification and all tax and income statements.
The programs are meant to help retirees, people with low incomes, disabilities and non-English speakers file their taxes.
“I feel like just about everybody, at some point in their life, could benefit,” said Jessica Safransky Schacht, who helps run sites in her role as the chief operating officer at United Way of Racine County.
She says volunteers can help taxpayers find credits they might not know they are eligible for.
“We want people to get every credit that they’re entitled to,” Safransky Schacht said.
She’s a volunteer herself at a site in a Racine high school.
“It might sound crazy, but there are lots of people that volunteer to do taxes,” Safransky Schacht said.
As a volunteer, she said it’s rewarding to watch people leave with a “great sense of relief.”
“Tax filing is stressful and confusing,” Safransky Schacht said.
She said their appointments usually take about an hour, and she sometimes helps people with tax returns from previous years. Appointments can fill up quickly, she added.
At her site, many high school-aged volunteers have been certified to prepare tax returns.
“It is really cool to see high school students doing taxes,” Safransky Schacht said. “And regardless of who prepares a return, whether it’s a high school student or an adult, there is that quality review process, so everything’s double and triple checked.”
Some sites offer virtual services as well.
Safransky Schacht said there are some tax situations that aren’t covered by the sites, such as married people filing separately.
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