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Tax Assistance

If you qualify, we provide you with free tax preparation assistance that can help reduce your tax burden and get back money that can help you pay off debt and build savings.

SPECIAL NOTICE

Updated 4/23/20

The filing date for both federal and state tax returns has been extended to July 15, 2020.

Due to the escalating threat of COVID-19 (coronavirus) ABCD tax preparation locations are closed until government officials determine it is safe to reopen.

However, we encourage you to contact us now at 617.348.6559 or staff_communitycoordination@bostonabcd.org to schedule your appointment.

Who Qualifies?

We provide free tax assistance if you’re income eligible and meet a few other requirements. For instance, if you earned less than $56,000 in 2019, you may qualify.

Get the refund you’ve earned

Last tax season, ABCD completed a total of 5,192 returns which resulted in a total of $10.4M in federal and state refunds.

As a leading partner of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and the City of Boston’s Tax Help Coalition, ABCD provides low and medium income Boston area residents with free electronic Federal and Massachusetts state tax preparation.

Our VITA volunteers are IRS-certified annually and are trained to assist you in finding all the tax credits you deserve—including those you may not have known you were even eligible for like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

We also provide these services to people with disabilities and limited English speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. In fact, services are available in many languages.

In addition to VITA, the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program offers free tax help for all taxpayers, particularly those who are 60 years of age and older, specializing in questions about pensions and retirement-related issues unique to seniors. That includes the Massachusetts Senior Circuit Breaker tax credit, which allows taxpayers age 65 or older who own or rent residential property in Massachusetts a credit relating to the amount of real estate taxes paid on the property.

We also encourage you to ask about the Financial Check Up, which was developed by our partner, the Boston Tax Help Coalition. If you’re a Boston resident, this one-on-one financial assessment offers the opportunity to review your credit report with a trained financial guide and learn how to improve that credit over time.

ABCD offers this service at three locations: our central offices at 178 Tremont Street in Boston; the ABCD Central Offices, the ABCD Mattapan Family Service Center and the ABCD Parker/Hill Fenway Neighborhood Service Center.

Our free tax preparation program is available at several ABCD Neighborhood locations and partner sites in Boston and the Mystic Valley cities of Malden, Medford, and Everett.

* Tax services available by appointment only. Please call your local ABCD site to schedule a consultation.

DON’T FORGET TO BRING:

Valid Government Issued Photo ID
Social Security card or Individual Taxpayer ID Letter (ITIN) for you, your dependents and/or your spouse
All 1099 forms – 1099G (unemployment), 1099R (pension payments), 1099INT (bank interest), 1099SSA (Social Security)
All W2 forms from all jobs for 2019
Proof of health insurance (health insurance cards, 1099-HC, 1095-A, etc.) for taxpayer, spouse, and all dependents**
Total child care expenses in 2019, and child care provider’s name, address, and Employer Identification Number (EIN) or SSN
All 1098T forms (tuition payments), receipts for materials and books and bursar statement
Total student loan interest paid (1098E)
A copy of last year’s tax return
Bank issued printed account and routing numbers for direct deposit of your tax refund
Proof of ANY deductible out of pocket expenses (annual BWSC, 1098E, charitable receipts, etc.)
Any mail from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue
Any mail from the IRS

**Taxpayers who have received or expect to receive health insurance credits need to bring proof of ALL household income.

Without all documents, we cannot complete your tax returns.

ABCD Tax Flyer

ABCD Tax Flyer MVOC

ABCD Tax Flyer Volunteer

WANT TO HELP? BECOME A VITA VOLUNTEER

Spend a few hours a week providing free tax preparation assistance to low to moderate income families in your community—and make all the difference. Your training is free, and you’ll become an IRS-certified tax preparer, thanks to the federal Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.