WASHINGTON—AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is providing free in-person and virtual tax assistance and preparation now through April 18. The nation’s largest free, volunteer-based tax assistance and preparation program helped secure more than $1 billion in refunds for more than 1.2 million taxpayers last year. Tax-Aide is offered in conjunction with the IRS, and AARP membership is not required.

“AARP Foundation Tax-Aide has provided free tax assistance to millions of low-income Americans for more than 50 years,” said Lynnette Lee-Villanueva, Vice President of AARP Foundation Tax-Aide. “Even modest refunds are a lifeline for older adults, many of whom live on a fixed income, and it’s crucial they do not miss out on the credits and deductions they have earned and need.”

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide offers several options for providing taxpayer assistance:

• In-Person: In Tax-Aide’s traditional in-person service, taxes are prepared and filed by IRS-certified tax counselors.
• Low-Contact: Taxpayers interact with IRS-certified Tax-Aide volunteers in one or two short, in-person meetings to exchange documents.
• Contact-Free: Taxpayers interact with Tax-Aide’s IRS-certified tax counselors online or by phone and exchange documents electronically and securely.
• Self-preparation: Tax-Aide provides consumers with free access to software to prepare their own taxes, and if needed, a Tax-Aide IRS-certified counselor can coach them through the process by phone or through computer screen-sharing.

Access to these services depends on volunteer availability in each locality.

Tax-Aide volunteers provide free tax preparation and filing services to taxpayers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Volunteers are trained and IRS-certified every year to ensure they understand the latest changes to the U.S. Tax Code.

To find the nearest Tax-Aide location in your area, visit the Tax-Aide site locator. The site locator also features a Tax-Aide chat bot that can help book an appointment, answer questions about the program and transfer the conversation to a live agent if needed or requested. For more information, including which documents to bring to the tax site, visit aarpfoundation.org/taxaide or call 1-888-AARPNOW (1-888-227-7669).

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About AARP Foundation
AARP Foundation works to end senior poverty by helping vulnerable people over 50 build economic opportunity. Our approach emphasizes equitable outcomes for populations that have faced systemic discrimination. As AARP's charitable affiliate, we serve AARP members and nonmembers alike. Through vigorous legal advocacy and evidence-based solutions, and by building supportive community connections, we foster resilience, advance equity, and restore hope. To learn more, visit aarpfoundation.org or follow @AARPFoundation on social media.