• Education

  • Early Excellence
  • Denver Preschool Program
  • K-12 Education
  • The Charter Fund

• Economic Opportunity

  • Post-Secondary Education
  • Employment Skills
  • Asset Building

• Strengthening Communities

  • Support to Community Organizing
  • Social Networks

• Earned Income Tax Credit

  • American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
  • Tax Sites
  • The Piton Foundation's Tax Credits for Working Families Campaign
  • Tax Help Colorado
  • Low Income Taxpayer Help
  • 2009 Tax Year Promotional Materials
  • Filing Options Available
  • The Earned Income Tax Credit in Colorado
  • Learn More about the Earned Income Tax Credit
  • Employers: Help Your Workers Get Their Tax Credits
  • More Tax Credits
  • Non-Profits: Help Your Clients Get Their Tax Credits
  • Still Another Tax Benefit for Families! The Child and Dependent Care Credit
  • The Child Tax Credit: Extra Credit for Many Working Families!
  • Education Tax Credits for Families: The Hope Credit
  • Education Tax Credits for Families: The Lifetime Learning Credit
  • Saver's Tax Credit: Workers Can Save for Retirement and Reduce Income Taxes

FILING OPTIONS

Get Help and File Free Online

If you have access to a computer and the Internet and want to prepare your own tax return, go to www.irs.gov/efile to link to a company that provides free on-line tax preparation.

Be aware that while filing your federal tax return is free, some of these companies may charge to file your state tax return.  You can file your Colorado tax return at no cost on-line at www.netfile.state.co.us

Low-income workers can e-file through the Free File Alliance

In 2003, the IRS began a partnership with the Free File Alliance, a consortium of companies that provide free on-line tax preparation and electronic filing.  Under an agreement with the IRS, each company designates categories of customers - such as low-income families - that may use its on-line tax filing system at no charge to file federal returns.  (Companies may charge to file state tax returns.)  Workers may access the Free File Alliance at the IRS website to explore what these companies offer and link to ones they may wish to use.  Since it's debut, more than 24 million returns have been prepared and submitted through the Free File Alliance service.

Get help and File Free in Person

During the tax season you can go to a free tax assistance site where trained tax preparers will file your taxes electronically at no cost, if you earned less than $49,000.  These sites operate from late January through the middle of April.  Dial 211 (it's a free call) to find a free tax preparation site near you, or use the search tool available by clicking here. Search for a free tax site.

Get Help Free on the Phone

Call the IRS at (800) TAX-1040 (829-1040) for more help.

Using a Paid Preparer

If you use a paid preparer to file your tax return, on average, you can expect to pay between $100 and $200.  And, it costs even more to get a Refund Anticipation Loan (RAL) or "rapid refund."  If you have seen ads on buses and televisions and heard them on the radio, you know about these "instant cash" tax refunds.

But beware, these are really high-cost loans!  If you don't need the refund immediately, save money by not taking a loan.  You speed up the refund just by filing electronically, which is what most paid preparers do.  And, if you have a bank account, you can arrange for your refund to be deposited directly into your account, and that only takes 7-10 days.

Don't Pay to Borrow Your Own Money