Adams County, Ohio Government Portal - Free Tax Return Service

Free Tax Return Service

SEOLS

Southeastern Ohio Legal Services

800 Gallia Street, Suite 700 Portsmouth OH 45662

740 354-7563

800 837-2508

740 354-2508, Fax

Portsmouth@oslsa.org http://www.ohiolegalservices.org http://www.seols.org

FROM: Southeastern Ohio Legal Services

Mark Cardosi, Managing Attorney

Re: Free Tax Return Services

Date: January 13, 2012

It's barely the new year of 2012 and the 2011 tax season has begun in earnest. The internet, radio, and television are full of advertisements for tax preparation services. Indeed, plenty of the ads suggest that free tax services are being made available by commercial tax preparers. As with most ads for "free" consumer goods and services, sometimes the promises are too good to be true. The Southeastern Ohio Legal Services (SEOLS) is advising low-income and senior tax filers to check the fine print when signing up for "free" tax preparation services.

A quick check of a couple of commercial tax preparation companies with local offices indicates that for a period extending to approximately late February, free federal (only) tax preparation services are available to those with very simple returns. Generally, what that means is that the tax filer must not have children and be asking for the Earned Income Tax Credit or be filing other schedules or have more than a couple of W-2s to include in the filing. The ad for free "simple" federal return preparation is correct. Those who must also file state returns (probably most everyone with earned income in 2011) or want to claim credits (like those filers with young children) or those waiting until after February 29^th, 2012 to prepare the return will have to pay the commercial preparers fees for those "extra" services.

Of course, one of the costlier fee for service programs available to tax filers from some commercial tax preparers is the refund anticipation loan. For those who do not want to wait a few days to receive the tax return, many of the commercial tax preparers will offer an instant "loan" of the anticipated return. According to the Center for Responsible Lending (www.responsiblelending.org) , the interest rate charged to tax filers to borrow against their own refund is anywhere from 50% to 500%. The "Mother Jones" magazine reported in its March/April 2011 edition that 8 million Americans shelled out $738 million for refund anticipation loans in 2008. For commercial tax preparers, the refund anticipation loan is just another of many tax preparation services that consumers can choose. The benefit of the refund loan is obvious: instant return.

For those federal/state tax filers who want free e-filing services on-line, a number of options exist. Several commercial tax preparation companies (e.g. Turbo Tax and H&R Block) offer free online software for simple (EZ returns). Again, like the in-house services of the commercial tax preparation companies, the free services are limited to federal returns and must be simple (e.g. no EITC schedules or the like). But, the IRS and the State of Ohio tax folks have free (really free) online filing software for those with incomes of less than $60,000. The IRS website is found at www.irs.gov/efile and will be operational after January 17^th, 2012 (with updated income limits for free filers). The Ohio Department of Taxation website is www.tax.ohio.gov . The Ohio website also offers a telephone option to use when filing State of Ohio returns. That telephone service is available via 1-800-697-0440.

Finally, there are free (really free) tax preparation services being provided by three different local non-profit agencies via volunteer tax professionals at several sites in or near Adams County. First, the Adams County Senior Citizens agency is sponsoring an A.A.R.P. (American Association of Retired Person) tax aide who will provide free (really free) at the Senior Citizens building in West Union (also known as the old Adams County hospital site). Individual tax returns will be prepared for free , but those returns with farm or rental income and self-employment income deductions of over $5000 cannot be completed. Neither can those with Schedule C losses in excess of $10,000. The returns can be e-filed with tax refunds expected in 3-7 days. The services are available by appointment only on Fridays, beginning Friday from February 10^th through March 30^th. Appointment times run from 9:30a.m.-2:30p.m. and can be obtained by calling the Senior Citizens office at 937-544-3979. Second, the Adams County Homeless Shelter through the Ohio Benefits Bank will also provide free (really free) individual tax preparation services for those with less than $60,000 income (and no farm or rental income or Schedule C losses in excess of $10,000). Week-day appointments
are available by calling the Shelter at 937-544-8164. Finally, the Adams-Brown Community Action agency will also provide free (really free) tax preparation services to those individuals with $60,000 or less income (and no farm or rental income or Schedule C losses in excess of $10,000) beginning on January 17^th and with no scheduled end date (so as to accommodate late filers). Appointments will be available at Georgetown, Winchester, and West Union sites on weekdays from 8:15a.m.-4:30p.m. Those wanting an appointment must contact ABCAP at 1-800-553-7393, extension 221. One other tax —related service available for free is from the legal aid law firm for Scioto County, Southeastern Ohio Legal Services. Free (really free) legal assistance is available for those low-income taxpayers with federal tax return problems. The Low Income Tax Clinic is available through all Southeastern Ohio Legal Services (SEOLS) law offices and makes available help such as "Innocent Spouse" filings, advice on filing amended returns, and assisting clients with putting an IRS debt into a "Currently Not Collectible" status. The local SEOLS office is in Portsmouth at 800 Gallia Street, Suite 700. The office is open Monday — Fridays (except federal holidays) from 8:30 a.m. — 5:00 p.m. and can be contacted by telephone at 3547563 and by e-mail at portsmouth@oslsa.org.

ADAMS COUNTY, OHIO
GOVERNMENT WEB PORTAL

ADAMS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

COUNTY OFFICES & SERVICES

USEFUL REFERENCES

NOTICES

I NEED INFO ON...

ELECTED OFFICIALS (COUNTY WIDE)

VILLAGE & TOWNSHIP ELECTED OFFICIALS

ADAMS COUNTY, OHIO GOVERNMENT WEB PORTAL