Senator Joe Addabbo: NYS Tax Department Announces Free Tax Filing Service for Eligible Taxpayers

Website Offers Qualifying Guidelines for Using FreeFile

NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Queens), who serves on the Senate’s Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs Committee, urged taxpayers to take advantage of FreeFile – a program providing free state and federal tax preparation and e-filing services to qualified New York State taxpayers. Half of New York’s taxpayers qualify for free or reduced fees to file electronically through FreeFile. You may be eligible if you earned $58,000 or less in 2010 or if you served in the military in 2010.

According to New York State Department of Taxation and Finance Acting Commissioner Thomas H. Mattox, FreeFile enables lower and moderate income New York State taxpayers to use the best-known and most trusted commercial tax preparation software products for free. The software programs are very user-friendly and taxpayers can be assured that the FreeFile technology is secure. These services also make it easier for taxpayers to claim all the credits and deductions to which they are entitled. Eligible taxpayers can access the free online services through the Department’s Web site at: http://www.tax.ny.gov.

Senator Addabbo notes, “For individuals who do not have computer access, including many constituents in my district, there is an option available to all New Yorkers. There are public access computers in all 62 Queens public libraries. These computers allow taxpayers to connect to the Internet.”

Addabbo also wants to remind taxpayers that e-filing is the best way to file income tax returns because:

• E-filed tax returns are processed more accurately and faster than paper returns;
• E-filing reduces the number of errors on your tax return because the software checks and corrects common mistakes;
• E-filed tax returns are transmitted over secure networks and the information is encrypted, which means it can only be read by the Tax Department, and,
• E-filing allows taxpayers to receive electronic confirmation that the Tax Department has received their return.

For more information, visit the Tax Department’s Web Site at http://www.tax.ny.gov.

“As this tax season winds down, I want to also encourage New Yorkers to take advantage of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) benefit that provides an important lifeline in tough economic times. Typically, any family with children that has a 2010 income of less than $50,000 and single filers making less than $18,000 qualify for the EITC. And, there are free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites around the city and free tax help for low-income or older adults at selected Queens libraries for residents to potentially receive thousands back in their tax returns,” suggests Addabbo.