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NYS: Schedule your free virtual tax filing assistance session today

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Fri, Feb 26th 2021 11:55 am

Tax Department experts will help you e-file 2020 federal & state income tax returns at no cost

By the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance

The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance announced registration for free virtual tax filing assistance sessions is now open. If your federal adjusted gross income in 2020 was $72,000 or less, you qualify to receive free virtual tax assistance from the Tax Department. We can guide you through the process of electronically preparing and filing your 2020 federal and state income tax returns at no cost.

During a prescheduled virtual webinar session using WebEx or Zoom, our department representatives will guide you step by step as needed through the free tax preparation software as you complete and file your own tax return.

“This online tax software is a safe, convenient, and secure way to file – and it’s free,” said New York State Commissioner of Taxation and Finance Michael Schmidt. “I highly encourage all eligible New Yorkers – especially those with simple returns – to take advantage of this free tax assistance service to avoid fees charged by tax software vendors and tax preparers.”

Register for a Session

You can register to attend a session directly with the Tax Department or through one of our partners.

Once you register, you will receive an email with a link to the webinar session. You will also receive a link to the free tax software and an intake questionnaire. Please review and fill out the intake questionnaire to ensure you have all the documents needed to complete your return during the session.

To register, see Register for a virtual FSA session.

How to Have a Successful e-Filing Experience

Four steps to ensure a quick and easy filing experience:

√ Have all tax documents and personal information for each person on the return available for the webinar session.

√ Use the software link to set up an account in the free software.

√ Plan to spend up to two hours in the webinar session.

√ Follow up by checking your email within 48 hours once you submit your return.

You can review the documents to have on hand and an explanation of how to create an account to use the free software at www.tax.ny.gov/fsa.

Free File software

Additionally, if you’re confident enough to file on your own, you can use your own computer, tablet, or mobile device to prepare and e-file your income tax returns whenever and wherever you want using the same secure software at no cost. To learn more and determine if you qualify for Free File, please visit our Free File your income tax return (Spanish, Chinese, Russian) page.

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