RACINE — With tax season beginning Monday, Wisconsin residents have several free options to file their returns without paying hefty preparation fees.
Watch: Racine County residents prepare for tax filing season
Wisconsin offers WisTax, a free tax filing system for individuals who meet specific requirements. To use the service, filers must have a Wisconsin tax filing history, be filing as a full-year state resident, and possess a valid Wisconsin driver's license or ID card.
The process requires filing your federal return with the IRS first, then visiting the state's Department of Revenue website to get started.
Jamal Martin, a Racine resident who uses a tax preparation service, was pleased to learn about WisTax on Thursday.
He said the service he uses charges hundreds of dollars.
"I know they charge like $500 or more to do taxes," Martin told TMJ4.
Martin said he is looking forward to tax season, as he is expecting to receive a tax return.
"I'm glad it's coming. We do need that extra little bit of money," he said.
Scott French, a Caledonia resident who uses an accountant to file taxes, would recommend a service like WisTax for those who might feel overwhelmed by the idea of filing taxes.
"Well, if there is a free service through the state, that would be the first thing I would do if I were new and needed to file taxes and needed some help," French said.
WisTax isn't the only free filing option available. Services like Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, or VITA, offer tax preparation and filing completely free of charge.
"We're there to ensure that money is saved by the taxpayer. They're able to get their refund that they're entitled to. And every penny of that refund, including the money that they save on preparation fees, can go towards those necessary expenses that they have at home," said Lori Riffer from United Way of Racine County.
In Racine County, VITA serves clients with households that generally make less than $69,000, people with disabilities, and people with limited English-speaking abilities. All VITA tax preparers are IRS-certified.
Racine County residents looking to make an appointment with VITA can consider a variety of locations, including the Racine and Burlington public libraries, and Case High School on Saturdays.
"Accessibility is key," Riffer said. "Making sure everything is on a bus route, has free parking."
Once you schedule and arrive at your appointment, you can expect to fill out some additional paperwork and to be interviewed by a tax preparer. Volunteers handle the preparation work and e-filing. Clients can expect to see a refund in as little as seven to 10 days.
"Every single tax return that goes through our program gets double checked for accuracy by a quality reviewer," Riffer said. "It's one of the best ways to ensure accuracy with the program."
VITA also offers online filing software, which furthers VITA's accessibility. There is also a wider range of eligibility for online filing through VITA.
Whether filing with WisTax or planning to utilize a service like VITA, it's important to have all documents ready and check eligibility requirements beforehand.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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