Who Qualifies for Free Tax Assistance from VITA?
The IRS does not have hard rules regarding eligibility, so each partner site is free to adopt its own acceptance guidelines. Taxpayers should inquire at local sites regarding eligibility. In general, “low to moderate income taxpayers” qualify for assistance. A low to moderate income taxpayer for purposes of the VITA program makes $40,000 or less. Some sites may not have a strict income limit, but rather require that the return simply be straightforward. Other sites may throw in family size criteria, offering assistance to large families even though they have more than $40,000 of annual income. Some VITA sites also offer income tax return assistance to individuals with disabilities and members of the military.
